Koko
/ˈkoʊ.koʊ/noun
A tropical root crop, especially taro, used as food in parts of Africa and the Caribbean.
Did you know?Koko is often used for taro, a plant whose starchy corms became an important food crop in tropical regions, including communities shaped by the transatlantic slave trade.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
West African languages
koko
“A regional name for taro or a related edible root crop.”
17th–18th Century
West African and Caribbean English
koko
“A name for taro adopted in English-speaking Caribbean contexts.”
19th Century
Caribbean English
koko
“A cultivated tropical root used as a staple food.”
Modern English
English
koko
“Taro, especially in African or Caribbean usage.”