potato

Noun

potato (countable and uncountable, plural potatoes)

1. The edible starchy tuber of the plant species Solanum tuberosum.
   • Do not let your child have potato for another year; he will probably take milk well enough after he is weaned.1891, “Condensed Replies to Various Letters”, in Leroy M[ilton] Yale, editor, Babyhood: The Mother’s Nursery Guide, Devoted to the Care of Children, volume VII, New York, N.Y.; London: Babyhood...
   • The protein value of this dish is equal to that of 1⅛ pounds of potato and beef, the fuel value, however, being much in excess of these.1912, C[harles] F[ord] Langworthy, Caroline L[ouisa] Hunt, Cheese and Its Economical Uses in the Diet (Farmers’ Bulletin 487), Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, page 24

   Synonyms:

   p'tater, spud, tato, tater, tator, tatie, earthapple, mickey, murphy, bog orange

2. The plant that produces this tuber.

   Synonyms:

   many of the synonyms for the tuber can also refer to the plant

3. (obsolete) A sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas).
4. (UK, informal) A conspicuous hole in a sock or stocking.
   • She was untidily dressed as usual and there were potatoes in both heels.1943, Agatha Christie, The Moving Finger
5. (derogatory, endearing, often, sometimes) A person or animal shaped like a potato, that is, with a large belly and/or short legs.
6. Metaphor for a person or thing of little value.
   • I don't value Monſieur de Champignon a rotten potatoe; […]1757, [Tobias Smollett], The Reprisal: Or, The Tars of Old England. […], London: […] R[oberts] Baldwin, […], →OCLC, Act I, scene ii, page 8
   1. (offensive, slang) A mentally handicapped person.
   2. (humorous) A camera that takes poor-quality pictures or videos.
   3. (humorous, slang) An underpowered computer or other device, especially when small in size.
      • When most people refer to their computers as a potato they're being hyperbolic, but not Ethan. He plays Overwatch at 800x600 resolution with all settings on low and is excited when he gets 30 fps.2017 March 17, Steven Messner, “Overwatch community donates PC parts to fan who could barely run it at 800x600”, in PC Gamer, archived from the original on 01 Feb 2018
      • If you want to have a go right now, then Famitracker will let you compose songs for the NES and it'll run on a Windows-operated potato.2019 September 22, Benjamin Burns, “Meet the people making music with Mega Drives, Game Boys and gAtaris”, in Eurogamer, archived from the original on 27 Jun 2026

Verb

potato (third-person singular simple present potatoes, present participle potatoing, simple past and past participle potatoed)

1. (slang, transitive) To hit very hard; to pummel.
   • Bradshaw doesn't find much humour in it though, and beats the tar out of Dustin, potatoing him with every blow.2014, James Dixon, Arnold Furious, Bob Dahlstrom, The Raw Files: 1998, page 26
2. (transitive) To hit with a thrown or fired potato.
   • Yvonne and Lee Swee potatoed Deputy Lestrade multiple times before Sheriff Moran potatoed them both. […] Suddenly, Sheriff Moran heard the click click of an empty weapon. He turned to see that both Mayor Eliza and Kat had run out of ammunition.2017, A. J. Low, Sherlock Sam’s Orange Shorts: Special Edition

Interjection

1. (often, onomatopoeic, repeated) The rhythmic sound produced by a V-twin engine—a distinctive deep, throaty exhaust note.