potato
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.a round, starchy vegetable with white or yellow flesh and brown, red, or pink skin.
n.the edible starchy tuber of the plant Solanum tuberosum, a staple crop in many global cuisines.
Simple“She peeled the potatoes and boiled them for the mashed potato dish.”
In context“The chef recommended roasting the potatoes with rosemary and garlic to complement the earthy flavour of the main course.”
PitfallI bought three potatos. I bought three potatoes.The plural of potato requires an 'e' before the 's'.
Synonymsspudtuber - 02 C1 Advanced
n.a humorous way to describe a very old or bad piece of technology, like a camera.
n.a metaphorical term for a device, particularly a camera or computer, with extremely poor performance or resolution.
Simple“The video is so blurry it looks like it was filmed with a potato.”
In context“I tried to run the latest game on my old laptop, but the hardware is basically a potato and it crashed immediately.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
n.a large, noticeable hole in the heel or toe of a sock.
n.a conspicuous hole in a sock or stocking, typically caused by wear at the heel or toe.
Simple“He was embarrassed to take off his shoes because he had a potato in his sock.”
In context“Despite her elegant outfit, a large potato in her stocking ruined the overall effect when she sat down.”
- 04 C2 Proficiency
v.to hit someone or something very hard.
v.to strike with significant force; to pummel or hit repeatedly.
Simple“The boxer managed to potato his opponent in the final round.”
In context“The protagonist in the action movie proceeded to potato the villain until the guards intervened.”
Synonymspummelclobber - 05 C2 Proficiency
interj.a word used to copy the sound of a heavy motorcycle engine.
interj.an onomatopoeic representation of the rhythmic, low-frequency exhaust note produced by a V-twin engine.
Simple“The Harley-Davidson went potato-potato-potato as it waited at the red light.”
In context“Enthusiasts often modify their exhaust systems to amplify the distinctive potato-potato cadence of the idling engine.”
UsageOften repeated as 'potato-potato-potato' to mimic the idle sound.
Borrowed from Spanish patata, itself borrowed from Taíno batata (“sweet potato”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.