spud

The story

1. Middle English · inherited fromspudde“small knife”
2. English todayspud

From Middle English spudde (“small knife”). Origin unknown; probably related to Danish spyd, Old Norse spjót (“spear”), German Spieß (“spear; spike; skewer”). Compare English spit (“sharp, pointed rod”). The use of the term for a potato perhaps first appeared in New Zealand and Australian dialect and slang.

First known use, by meaning

• from 1845 A potato.
• from mid-15th c. A dagger.
• from 1660s A tool, similar to a spade, used for digging out weeds etc.