<p><strong>Noun:</strong></p><ul><li>a tropical American plant, <em>Maranta arundinacea</em>, the rhizomes of which yield a nutritious starch</li><li>the starch itself</li><li>any of several other plants yielding a similar starch</li><li>the starch of these plants, used in cooking as a binder or thickener</li></ul>