The term "tator" is an informal, colloquial variation of the word "potato". It is derived from the word "potato" itself. The exact origin of "potato" comes from the Spanish word "patata", which was later adopted into English through the influence of the French term "pomme de terre" (meaning "earth apple"). Over time, "potato" became the common name for the starchy vegetable, and "tator" emerged as a shortened, informal variant.