# potato

/pəˈteɪˌtoʊ/ (US) · /pətˈeɪtəʊ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/potato
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. the vegetable

noun · CEFR A1

a round, starchy vegetable with white or yellow flesh and brown, red, or pink skin.

For teachers: the edible starchy tuber of the plant Solanum tuberosum, a staple crop in many global cuisines.

- She peeled the potatoes and boiled them for the mashed potato dish.
- The chef recommended roasting the potatoes with rosemary and garlic to complement the earthy flavour of the main course.

### 2. low-quality technology

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Humorous · Slang

a humorous way to describe a very old or bad piece of technology, like a camera.

For teachers: a metaphorical term for a device, particularly a camera or computer, with extremely poor performance or resolution.

- The video is so blurry it looks like it was filmed with a potato.
- I tried to run the latest game on my old laptop, but the hardware is basically a potato and it crashed immediately.

### 3. a hole in a sock

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Informal

a large, noticeable hole in the heel or toe of a sock.

For teachers: a conspicuous hole in a sock or stocking, typically caused by wear at the heel or toe.

- He was embarrassed to take off his shoes because he had a potato in his sock.
- Despite her elegant outfit, a large potato in her stocking ruined the overall effect when she sat down.

### 4. to hit hard

verb · CEFR C2 · Slang

to hit someone or something very hard.

For teachers: to strike with significant force; to pummel or hit repeatedly.

- The boxer managed to potato his opponent in the final round.
- The protagonist in the action movie proceeded to potato the villain until the guards intervened.

### 5. engine sound

interjection · CEFR C2 · Informal · American English

a word used to copy the sound of a heavy motorcycle engine.

For teachers: an onomatopoeic representation of the rhythmic, low-frequency exhaust note produced by a V-twin engine.

- The Harley-Davidson went potato-potato-potato as it waited at the red light.
- Enthusiasts often modify their exhaust systems to amplify the distinctive potato-potato cadence of the idling engine.

Usage: Often repeated as 'potato-potato-potato' to mimic the idle sound.

## Examples

- I usually peel a potato before boiling it.
- The chef decided to roast the potato with rosemary and garlic to serve alongside the main course.
- While the potato originated in the Andean region of South America, it eventually became a critical crop for European food security due to its high caloric yield per acre.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.