spud

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun an edible tuber native to South America; a staple food of Ireland
  2. noun a sharp hand shovel for digging out roots and weeds
  3. verb initiate drilling operations, as for petroleum

Etymology

From Middle English spudde (“small knife”). Origin unknown; probably related to Danish spyd, Old Norse spjót (“spear”), German Spieß (“spear; spike; skewer”). Compare English spit (“sharp, pointed rod”). The use of the term for a potato perhaps first appeared in New Zealand and Australian dialect and slang.

In classic literature

Synonyms

potato, white potato, Irish potato, murphy, tater

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