Meaning & use
yucca
Last updated
UK/ˈjʌkə/
US/ˈjʌkə/
Meaning
nouncountable
A plant from dry parts of the Americas with stiff, pointed leaves and tall spikes of white flowers, often grown in gardens or pots.
Grammar: Countable: a yucca, several yuccas.
A tall yucca stood by the front gate.
We keep a small yucca in the living room because it needs little water.
Yuccas can survive in very dry soil.
Word forms
| plural | yuccas |
|---|
Common combinations
- yucca plant
- The yucca plant bloomed in summer.
- yucca flower
- A yucca flower spike rose above the leaves.
- potted yucca
- A potted yucca decorates the hall.
- desert yucca
- Desert yucca grows slowly in rocky ground.
Synonyms and how they differ
- Adam's needle
- Adam's needle is a common name for one kind of yucca, so it is narrower.
- Spanish dagger
- Spanish dagger names particular spiky species of yucca.
- agave
- Agave is a different plant with thick fleshy leaves, sometimes mistaken for yucca.
Word family
- yuccas noun
- plural form
- yucca moth noun
- a moth that pollinates the plant
Commonly confused: yucca or yuca?
yucca vs yuca
Yuca is another name for cassava, an edible root, while yucca is an ornamental plant.
Practice
Which is true of a yucca?
Choose one answer.
Yucca has stiff pointed leaves and survives drought. The root vegetable is yuca, spelled with one c.
Make it your own
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