topinambour

noun

top·​i·​nam·​bour

ˌtäpəˈnamˌbu̇(ə)r

variants or less commonly topinambou

-bü

or tobinambur

ˌtäbəˈnamˌbu̇(ə)r,

ˌ⸗⸗ˌ⸗ˈ⸗

plural -s

: jerusalem artichoke

Word History

Etymology

topinambour, from French, from Portuguese tupinambor, alteration of tupinamba, short for batata tupinamba, from batata potato (from Taino) + Tapinambá Tupinamba; topinambou from obsolete French, from Portuguese tupinambo, tupinamba; tobinambur modification of American Spanish topinámbur, from Portuguese tupinambor

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!