wild yam

noun

1. any of several uncultivated yams, especially Dioscorea villosa, of the U.S., having a woody, tuberous root.

Word History and Origins

Origin of wild yam¹

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

They harvest wild yams in such a way that they regenerate and multiply, they try to avoid killing pregnant animals, and they consume everything that they take from their environs.

From Scientific American

On the list were papaya, neem, asafoetida, figs, ginger, smartweed, wild yam, pennyroyal, black cohosh and angelica.

From Washington Times

But whether the modern African crop was derived from D. abyssinica, a wild yam that grows in the savanna, or D. praehensilis, which thrives in the wetter rainforests, was not known.

From Science Magazine

The wild animals that formed the backbone of their diet, along with wild yams, could not survive among the monoculture plantations.

From New York Times

Three species of wild rice, along with two of wild wheat and 17 types of wild yam were listed as threatened due to deforestation and urban expansion, coupled with the pressures created by intensive agriculture.

From The Guardian