Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A shrubby tropical American plant (Manihot esculenta) widely grown for its large, tuberous, starchy roots.
  • noun The root of this plant, eaten as a staple food in the tropics only after leaching and drying to remove cyanide. Cassava starch is also the source of tapioca.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The name of several species of Manihot, a euphorbiaceous genus of stout herbs, extensively cultivated for food in tropical America and on the coast of Africa, from the tuberous roots of which cassava-bread, cassava-starch, and tapioca are made.
  • noun The starch prepared from the roots of the cassava-plant.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Bot.) A shrubby euphorbiaceous plant of the genus Manihot, with fleshy rootstocks yielding an edible starch; -- called also manioc.
  • noun A nutritious starch obtained from the rootstocks of the cassava plant, used as food and in making tapioca.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun manioc, the source of tapioca, Manihot esculenta.
  • noun Tapioca, a starchy pulp made with the roots of this tropical plant.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a starch made by leaching and drying the root of the cassava plant; the source of tapioca; a staple food in the tropics
  • noun cassava root eaten as a staple food after drying and leaching; source of tapioca
  • noun any of several plants of the genus Manihot having fleshy roots yielding a nutritious starch

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Ultimately from Taíno casavi, flour from manioc.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Portuguese cassave, form Taino caçabi.

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Examples

  • Originally consumed in ancient South American civilizations, cassava is a root plant that grows like potato.

    Arico Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Cookies Steve Carper 2008

  • Today, cassava is a staple food consumed by more than 500 million around the world.

    Arico Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Cookies Steve Carper 2008

  • In fact, tapioca, a substance made from the starch grains in cassava, came mainly from the Far East, and with supply lines disrupted, that presented problems for packaged food.

    Tastemaker With a Sweet Tooth 2004

  • In fact, tapioca, a substance made from the starch grains in cassava, came mainly from the Far East, and with supply lines disrupted, that presented problems for packaged food.

    Tastemaker With a Sweet Tooth 2004

  • We had stacks of the large round thin cakes baked on stones which afterwards we called cassava, and great gourds, "calabashes" filled with fruit, and balls of cotton in a rude thread.

    1492, 1922

  • We had stacks of the large round thin cakes baked on stones which afterwards we called cassava, and great gourds, "calabashes" filled with fruit, and balls of cotton in a rude thread.

    1492 Mary Johnston 1903

  • For example, Nigeria has surpassed Brazil as the world's largest producer of cassava, which is a major source of calories in Africa.

    New Drive for European Investment in African Agriculture 2010

  • For example, Nigeria has surpassed Brazil as the world's largest producer of cassava, which is a major source of calories in Africa.

    New Drive for European Investment in African Agriculture 2010

  • For example, Nigeria has surpassed Brazil as the world's largest producer of cassava, which is a major source of calories in Africa.

    New Drive for European Investment in African Agriculture 2010

  • For example, Nigeria has surpassed Brazil as the world's largest producer of cassava, which is a major source of calories in Africa.

    New Drive for European Investment in African Agriculture 2010

Comments

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  • Leaves are tasty too. Take the top ones from the growing tip or they can be quite bitter.

    August 15, 2008

  • Cassava is the third-largest source of carbohydrates for meals in the world. Cassava is classified as sweet or bitter depending on the level of toxic cyanogenic glucosides; improper preparation of bitter cassava causes a disease called konzo. Nevertheless, farmers often prefer the bitter varieties because they deter pests, animals, and thieves.

    December 1, 2010