ˈhēkəmə noun
( -s )
Etymology: Mexican Spanish jícama, from Nahuatl xicama, xicamutl
1. : a tall-climbing Mexican vine ( Exogonium bracteatum ) with showy flowers and a sweet watery root that is sometimes eaten raw or cooked — compare jalap
2. : yam bean
3. : a small dahlia ( Dahlia coccinea ) with yellow, orange, or scarlet flowers that is sometimes cultivated and is an ancestor of some improved horticultural dahlias