potato
4 synonyms for potato, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A starchy vegetable that grows underground as the tuber of the potato plant.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use potato
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
baked potato
mashed potato
potato chips
couch potato
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish patata, which itself came from the Taíno word batata, meaning sweet potato.
Full origin of potato →Frequently asked questions
What does “potato” mean?
The word “potato” means a starchy vegetable that grows underground as the tuber of the potato plant. In plain terms, the common root vegetable — or, informally, a way of calling something (like a cheap camera) low quality.
How do you pronounce “potato”?
“Potato” is pronounced puh-TAY-toh (/pəˈteɪ.toʊ/ in IPA).
How do you use “potato” in a sentence?
Here is “potato” used in a sentence: “We baked a potato for each person at dinner.”
What part of speech is “potato”?
“Potato” is a noun.
Where does the word “potato” come from?
The word “potato” comes from Spanish. Borrowed from Spanish patata, which itself came from the Taíno word batata, meaning sweet potato.
Is “potato” a common word?
“Potato” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “potato” have?
“Potato” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a starchy vegetable that grows underground as the tuber of the potato plant.
Why is the plural of "potato" spelled "potatoes"?
"Potato" ends in a consonant plus -o, and such nouns usually add -es rather than just -s, giving "potatoes." The spelling "potatos" is a common mistake and is incorrect.
Is a potato a vegetable or a starch?
A potato is a starchy vegetable — botanically it is the tuber of the potato plant. In cooking and nutrition it is often grouped with starches like rice and pasta because of its high carbohydrate content, but it is still classed as a vegetable.
