SWEET POTATO

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does sweet potato mean? 

• SWEET POTATO (noun)
  The noun SWEET POTATO has 3 senses:

1. pantropical vine widely cultivated in several varieties for its large sweet tuberous root with orange flesh

2. the edible tuberous root of the sweet potato vine which is grown widely in warm regions of the United States

3. egg-shaped terra cotta wind instrument with a mouthpiece and finger holes

  Familiarity information: SWEET POTATO used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SWEET POTATO (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Pantropical vine widely cultivated in several varieties for its large sweet tuberous root with orange flesh

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Synonyms:

Ipomoea batatas; sweet potato; sweet potato vine

Hypernyms ("sweet potato" is a kind of...):

morning glory (any of various twining vines having funnel-shaped flowers that close late in the day)

Meronyms (parts of "sweet potato"):

sweet potato (the edible tuberous root of the sweet potato vine which is grown widely in warm regions of the United States)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The edible tuberous root of the sweet potato vine which is grown widely in warm regions of the United States

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("sweet potato" is a kind of...):

root vegetable (any of various fleshy edible underground roots or tubers)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "sweet potato"):

yam (sweet potato with deep orange flesh that remains moist when baked)

Holonyms ("sweet potato" is a part of...):

Ipomoea batatas; sweet potato; sweet potato vine (pantropical vine widely cultivated in several varieties for its large sweet tuberous root with orange flesh)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Egg-shaped terra cotta wind instrument with a mouthpiece and finger holes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

ocarina; sweet potato

Hypernyms ("sweet potato" is a kind of...):

wind; wind instrument (a musical instrument in which the sound is produced by an enclosed column of air that is moved by bellows or the human breath)

 Context examples 

A yellow, red, or orange substance found mostly in plants, including carrots, sweet potatoes, dark green leafy vegetables, and many fruits, grains, and oils.

(Carotenoid, NCI Dictionary)

A natural toxic furan isolated from a fungus-infected sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) with potential antineoplastic activity.

(Ipomeanol, NCI Thesaurus)

Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California have found potassium-rich vegetables like sweet potatoes, avocados, spinach, beans and bananas could help lower blood pressure.

(Study: Fruits and Vegetables Can Lower Blood Pressure, VOA)