Meaning & use
Spanish yams
Last updated
“Spanish yams” is a form of “Spanish yam”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
More than one Spanish yam, either the plants or their edible roots.
Grammar: Plural only in this form; the singular is 'Spanish yam'.
Patterns
- plant Spanish yams
- harvest Spanish yams
The villagers planted Spanish yams along the river bank.
She bought three Spanish yams at the Friday market.
nounplural
The cooked root of these plants served as food, considered as a dish.
Grammar: Used with plural verbs: 'Spanish yams are ready'.
Patterns
- serve Spanish yams
- Spanish yams are ready
Spanish yams are usually boiled or fried in this region.
The Spanish yams were soft and slightly sweet.
Word forms
| singular | Spanish yam |
|---|
Common combinations
- plant Spanish yams
- They plant Spanish yams at the start of the rainy season.
- harvest Spanish yams
- It takes several months to harvest Spanish yams.
- fried Spanish yams
- Fried Spanish yams make a filling breakfast.
- a basket of Spanish yams
- He carried a basket of Spanish yams to the market.
Synonyms and how they differ
- yams
- The shorter form is far more common and can mean any similar starchy root.
Word family
- Spanish yam noun
- The singular form, used for one plant or one root.
Commonly confused: Spanish yams or sweet potatoes?
Spanish yams vs sweet potatoes
Shops in the US often label sweet potatoes as 'yams', but true Spanish yams are a separate tropical crop.
Practice
Choose the sentence with correct grammar.
Choose one answer.
'Spanish yams' is plural, so it takes the plural verb 'are'. 'Is', 'was' and 'has' are singular forms and do not agree with it.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Spanish yams”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.