taro

1. (n) taro
   A gold coin of the Arab emirs of Sicily of the tenth and eleventh centuries; of the Lombard dukes of the seventh century; of the Two Sicilies under Norman rule in the fourth century; of Amalfi in the eleventh century.
2. (n) taro
   A food-plant, Colocasia antiquorum, especially the variety esculenta, a native of India, but widely cultivated in the warmer parts of the globe, particularly in the Pacific islands. It is a stemless plant with the general habit of the caladiums of house and garden culture. The leaves are heart-shaped and about a foot long. Its chief value lies in its stem-like tuberous starchy root, which is eaten boiled or baked, made into a bread or pudding, or in the Sandwich Islands, where it is the staple food of the natives, in the form of poi (which see). The tubers, when baked, pouuded, and pressed, keep fresh many months. An excellent starch can be had from them. The leaves and leafstalks are also edible, with the character of spinach or asparagus. All parts of the plant are acrid, but this quality is removed by cooking. Taro is propagated by a cutting from the top of the tuber, which, in the Fiji Islands at least, is planted as soon as the crop is gathered. About flfteen months are required to mature the root. See Colocasia (with cut), also cocco, eddoes, and tanya.
3. (n) taro
   A money of account and coin of silver, and also of copper, formerly used in Malta under the Grand Masters. The silver taro of 1777 weighed about 15 grains, and the copper taro of 1786 about 118 grains.

1. (n) Taro
   tä′rō a plant of the arum family, widely cultivated for its edible roots in the islands of the Pacific.

taro root cocoyam dasheen edda taro plant dalo dasheen colocasia esculenta cocoyam dasheen eddo