Meanings
plural yucas · alternative yuka
- countableuncountablecassava
- countableuncountablecassava root
She spooned out yuca into what I assume was my plate, and chorizo from a red frying pan.
2014, Marlon James, A Brief History of Seven Killings, Oneworld Publications (2015), page 4851 more example
In the equatorial regions of South America, starch is abundantly prepared from the Yuca (Jatropha manihot), and from several species of palm.
1845, Jean Baptiste J.D. Boussingault, Rural Economy, in Its Relations with Chemistry, Physics and Meteorology, Tr. with an Intr. and Notes by G. Law, page 95
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Kari'nayuca“cassava”
- Spanishyuca
- Englishyuca
Via Spanish yuca (also historically juca), frequently said to be of Taíno origin. While the word is almost certainly from an indigenous American language, the source is not known. Perhaps from Kari'na yuca (“cassava”) , but this appears to be a ghost word. Doublet of yucca.
More words from Spanish, Kari'na
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
yuca. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/yuca
“yuca.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/yuca. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “yuca,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/yuca.
Source: yuca on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.