DIOSCOREA

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Dioscorea mean? 

• DIOSCOREA (noun)
  The noun DIOSCOREA has 1 sense:

1. yams

  Familiarity information: DIOSCOREA used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DIOSCOREA (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Yams

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

Dioscorea; genus Dioscorea

Hypernyms ("Dioscorea" is a kind of...):

plant genus (a genus of plants)

Meronyms (members of "Dioscorea"):

yam; yam plant (any of a number of tropical vines of the genus Dioscorea many having edible tuberous roots)

Dioscorea elephantipes; elephant's-foot; Hottentot's bread vine; Hottentot bread vine; tortoise plant (South African vine having a massive rootstock covered with deeply fissured bark)

Dioscorea paniculata; wild yam (having a rhizome formerly dried and used to treat rheumatism or liver disorders)

Holonyms ("Dioscorea" is a member of...):

Dioscoreaceae; family Dioscoreaceae; yam family (yams)

 Context examples 

An herbal remedy derived from the dried root of Dioscorea villosa, a perennial vine native to North America, Mexico and Asia.

(Dioscorea villosa Tuber, NCI Thesaurus)