English Dictionary: cassava | by the DICT Development Group |
2 results for cassava | |
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]: | |
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From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Cassava \Cas"sa*va\, n. [F. cassave, Sp. cazabe, fr. kasabi, in the language of Hayti.] 1. (Bot.) A shrubby euphorbiaceous plant of the genus {Manihot}, with fleshy rootstocks yielding an edible starch; -- called also {manioc}. Note: There are two species, bitter and sweet, from which the cassava of commerce is prepared in the West Indies, tropical America, and Africa. The bitter ({Manihot utilissima}) is the more important; this has a poisonous sap, but by grating, pressing, and baking the root the poisonous qualities are removed. The sweet ({M. Aipi}) is used as a table vegetable. 2. A nutritious starch obtained from the rootstocks of the cassava plant, used as food and in making tapioca. |