earth-apple

Noun

earthapple (plural earthapples)

1. A Jerusalem artichoke (the tuber of Helianthus tuberosus); the plant that produces it.

   Synonyms:

   ground pear, sunchoke, more at Jerusalem artichoke

2. (rare) A potato; the plant that produces it.
   • The most probable account I have been able to collect is, that a vessel of Sir Walter Raleigh's, returning from Guiana, put into the west of Ireland in distress, having on board some potatoes which they called earth-apples.1984, Thomas Jefferson, Merrill D. Peterson, Jefferson: Writings

   Synonyms:

   groundapple, ground pear, more at potato

3. (historical) The fruit of the mandrake (Mandragora officinarum); the plant itself.
4. (obsolete) Any of various tubers or the tuberous plants that produce them, especially sowbread (genus Cyclamen).