kudzu

Noun

kudzu (usually uncountable, plural kudzus)

1. (usually) An Asian vine (several species in the genus Pueraria, but mostly Pueraria montana var. lobata, syn. Pueraria lobata in the US), grown as a root starch, and which is a notorious invasive weed in the United States.
   • By 2020, droughts and other extreme weather will be commonplace. By 2040, the Sahara will be moving into Europe, and Berlin will be as hot as Baghdad. Atlanta will end up a kudzu jungle.2007 November 1, Jeff Goodell, “James Lovelock, the Prophet”, in Rolling Stone
   • Walled off communities, private jets, private security details are spreading like kudzu around the world.2011 August 31, Ashley Dawson, “Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor: An Interview with Rob Nixon”, in Social Text

   Synonyms:

   Chinese arrowroot, East Asian arrowroot, Japanese arrowroot, kudzu vine, mile-a-minute

2. (usually) A starch extracted from the root that is used in traditional East Asian medicine and cuisine.
   • Kudzu is available in natural food stores and Oriental markets; it is often sold in lumps that must be crushed in a mortar before measuring.1989 November, Drew DeSilver, Jan Gahala, “What is that stuff?”, in Vegetarian Times, →ISSN, page 43
   • Kudzu, a starch extracted from the root of the kudzu plant, acts similarly to cornstarch or arrowroot but is preferable for bone health because it contains some calcium.2009, Annemarie Colbin, Whole-food Guide to Strong Bones, New Harbinger Publications, →ISBN, page 233

   Synonyms:

   kudzu powder