yucca

[ yuhk-uh ]

noun

1. any plant belonging to the genus Yucca, of the agave family, native to the warmer regions of America, having pointed, usually rigid, sword-shaped leaves and clusters of white, waxy flowers: the state flower of New Mexico.

yucca

/ ˈjʌkə /

noun

1. any of several plants of the genus Yucca, of tropical and subtropical America, having stiff lancelike leaves and spikes of white flowers: family Agaraceae See also Adam's-needle Spanish bayonet

Word History and Origins

Origin of yucca¹

1655–65; < New Latin, apparently < Spanish; perhaps originally identical with yuca yuca

Word History and Origins

Origin of yucca¹

C16: from American Spanish yuca, ultimately from an American Indian word

Example Sentences

Yusely nodded at the yucca chips frying slowly in a pot of lukewarm oil.

From BBC

But a lack of lawns doesn’t equate to a lack of life: Picture aromatic sagebrush, bright yellow sunflowers, flowering yuccas, humble scrubs and native grasses billowing in the breeze.

From Los Angeles Times

On the other hand, Joshua trees rely solely on the yucca moth for pollination.

From Los Angeles Times

At any one time, there are only five people assigned to the station set on the edge of a sandy basin speckled with yucca and scrub.

From Los Angeles Times

Byron Jones, horticulturalist at Tacoma’s Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, grows a host of “unthirsty” botanical marvels in the Deserts and Baja Gardens, from sedum and cactuses to agaves and yuccas.

From Seattle Times