A tropical plant with large heart-shaped leaves, grown mainly for its starchy root vegetable (also called taro).
From Greek 'kolokasia,' a word for the Egyptian plant. The plant was widely cultivated in ancient Mediterranean regions and the name persisted through scientific nomenclature into modern English.
Colocasia has been feeding people for over 5,000 years—ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all grew it—and it's now a staple for over 400 million people globally. The root is so nutritious it's sometimes called the 'potato of the tropics.'
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.