See Also:

yam(2) (iou)



yam noun1. [jam] L16.

Any of various chiefly tropical vines constituting the genus Dioscorea (family Dioscoreaceae), which are grown for their edible starchy tubers, esp. (in SE Asia) D. alata and (in W. Africa) D. cayenensis (more fully yellow yam); the root of such a plant used as food. L16.
A variety of the sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas. N. Amer. L18.
A large coarse variety of potato. Scot. obsolete exc. dial. E19.
Comb.: yam-bean any of several leguminous plants which have edible tubers as well as edible pods, esp. the Central American Pachyrhizus erosus; yam house a building for storing yams; yam potato = sense 2 above; yam-stick Austral. a long sharpened stick used by Australian Aborigines for digging and as a weapon.