Dictionary
cas•sa•va
Pronunciation: (ku-sä'vu), [key]—
n.
1. any of several tropical American plants belonging to the genus
Manihot, of the spurge family, as
M. esculenta (bitter cassava) and
M. dulcis (sweet cassava), cultivated for their tuberous roots, which yield important food products.
2. a nutritious starch from the roots, the source of tapioca.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.