Potato Meaning
/pəˈteɪ.təʊ/Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA plant of species Solanum tuberosum or its edible starchy tuber.
nounThe edible starchy tuber of the plant species Solanum tuberosum.
Sentence Examples
I like cold potato salad in the summertime.
Help yourself to more potato chips.
CEFR Practice Quiz
She cut the ____ into thin strips to make homemade french fries.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She peeled and boiled the ____ before mashing them with butter and cream for the side dish.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Spanish patata, itself borrowed from Taíno batata (“sweet potato”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Do not let your child have potato for another year; he will probably take milk well enough after he is weaned."
— 1891, “Condensed Replies to Various Letters”, in Leroy M[ilton] Yale, editor, Babyhood: The Mother’s Nursery Guide, Devoted to the Care of Children, volume VII, New York, N.Y.; London: Babyhood Publishing Company, page 230, column 2:
"The protein value of this dish is equal to that of 1⅛ pounds of potato and beef, the fuel value, however, being much in excess of these."
— 1912, C[harles] F[ord] Langworthy, Caroline L[ouisa] Hunt, Cheese and Its Economical Uses in the Diet (Farmers’ Bulletin 487), Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, page 24:
"A number of the children said that they had potato for breakfast, potato and herring for dinner, potato and milk for supper."
— 1915, Annual Report of the Local Government Board for Scotland, page 17:
"Although the potato actually has no exciting value, it was believed, in the seventeenth century, to possess definite aphrodisiac qualities, and is frequent mentioned in this respect in Elizabethan drama."
— 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 195:
"Potatoes were introduced to Ireland in 1590 after being brought to Europe by Spanish conquistadores from their place of origin in the South American Andes."
— 2017, Anthony J. McMichael, Alistair Woodward, Cameron Muir, Climate Change and the Health of Nations, →ISBN, page 213:
Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She cut the ____ into thin strips to make homemade french fries.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She peeled and boiled the ____ before mashing them with butter and cream for the side dish.