po ‧ ta ‧ to S2 /pəˈteɪtəʊ $ -toʊ/ BrE AmE noun ( plural potatoes )
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Spanish ; Origin: batata , from Taino ]
1 . [uncountable and countable] a round white vegetable with a brown, red, or pale yellow skin, that grows under the ground
roast/fried/boiled/mashed potato
jacket potato (=cooked in its skin)
Marie stood at the sink, peeling potatoes (=cutting off the skin) .
2 . [countable] a plant that produces potatoes
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ peel potatoes (=cut the skin off them)
Peel and slice the potatoes.
▪ slice potatoes (=cut them into long thin pieces)
▪ dice potatoes (=cut them into small square pieces)
▪ mash potatoes (=crush them until they are smooth, after boiling them)
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + potato
▪ boiled potatoes
Serve with plain boiled potatoes.
▪ mashed potato(es) (=boiled and crushed until smooth)
I like sausages with mashed potatoes.
▪ roast potatoes (=cooked in an oven with fat)
traditional roast beef with roast potatoes
▪ a baked/jacket potato (=cooked in its skin)
We cooked baked potatoes in the embers of the fire.