yam

yam  (ym)

n.

1. Any of numerous chiefly tropical vines of the genus Dioscorea, many of which have edible tuberous roots.

2. The starchy root of any of these plants, used in the tropics as food.

3. Chiefly Southern U.S. See sweet potato. See Regional Note at goober.

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[Portuguese inhame or obsolete Spanish igname, iñame, both from Portuguese and English Creole nyam, to eat, of West African origin; Wolof ñam, food, to eat, or Bambara ñambu, manioc.]

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yam [jæm]

n

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) any of various twining plants of the genus Dioscorea, of tropical and subtropical regions, cultivated for their edible tubers: family Dioscoreaceae

2. (Cookery) the starchy tuber of any of these plants, which is eaten as a vegetable

3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) (Cookery) Southern US any of certain large varieties of sweet potato

4. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) a former Scot name for the (common) potato

[from Portuguese inhame, ultimately of West African origin; compare Senegal nyami to eat]

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sweet potato, yam - The sweet potatoes and yams sold in most stores are the same vegetable—sweet potatoes are inside every mislabeled yam can; true yams are not sold anywhere except a handful of specialty grocers.

See also related terms for vegetable.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	yam - edible tuber of any of several yams yam plant, yam - any of a number of tropical vines of the genus Dioscorea many having edible tuberous roots tuber - a fleshy underground stem or root serving for reproductive and food storage
	2.	yam - any of a number of tropical vines of the genus Dioscorea many having edible tuberous roots yam plant Dioscorea, genus Dioscorea - yams yam - edible tuber of any of several yams Dioscorea alata, water yam, white yam - grown in Australasia and Polynesia for its large root with fine edible white flesh Chinese yam, cinnamon vine, Dioscorea batata - hardy Chinese vine naturalized in United States and cultivated as an ornamental climber for its glossy heart-shaped cinnamon-scented leaves and in the tropics for its edible tubers air potato, Dioscorea bulbifera - yam of tropical Africa and Asia cultivated for it large tubers cush-cush, Dioscorea trifida - tropical American yam with small yellow edible tubers vine - a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface
	3.	yam - sweet potato with deep orange flesh that remains moist when baked sweet potato - the edible tuberous root of the sweet potato vine which is grown widely in warm regions of the United States
	4.	yam - edible tuberous root of various yam plants of the genus Dioscorea grown in the tropics world-wide for food root vegetable - any of various fleshy edible underground roots or tubers

Translations

yam [jæm] N → ñame m; (= sweet potato) → batata f, camote m (LAm)

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yam [ˈjæm] n

(British) → igname f

(US) (= sweet potato) → patate f douce

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yam

n

(= plant) → Yamswurzel f, → Jamswurzel f

(= sweet potato) → Süßkartoffel f, → Batate f

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yam [jæm] n (plant, tuber) → igname m; (sweet potato) → patata dolce

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yam

n yam [jӕm]

any of several kinds of potato-like tropical plants used as food. broodwortel بَطاطا حُلْوَه، قُلْقاس هِنْدي сладък картоф jam yamsrod die Yamswurzel γλυκοπατάτα ñame, batata, camote jamss سیب زمینی jamssi igname מִין בַּטָטָה रतालु,शकरकंद, अरबी, अरूई jam ubi jalar sætuhnúðjurt; sætuhnúður (patata dolce) やまいもの類 얌(참마속(屬)의 식물) dioskorėja jamss keladi yam søtpotet, yam(srot) (rodzaj słodkiego ziemniaka) batata doce ignam, car­tof dulce ямс; батат jam; sladký zemiak jam jamsrot ต้นมันเทศหรือมันเทศ Hint yer elması 山藥 батат شمالی امریکا ، شکّر قند củ từ 山药；薯蓣属植物