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bamboo
(bam bo̵̅o̅′)
noun
any of a number of semitropical or tropical grasses (subfamily Bambusoideae) often resembling trees, with perennial, jointed stems that are woody, hard, springy, and often hollow and sometimes grow to a height of c. 36 m (c. 120 feet): the stems are used in light construction and for furniture, canes, etc., and the young shoots of some species are eaten
Origin: Malay bambu < ? a Dravidian language
adjective
- of bamboo
- made of bamboo stems
See bamboo in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun pl. bam·boos
- Any of various usually woody, temperate or tropical grasses of the genera Arundinaria, Bambusa, Dendrocalamus, Phyllostachys, or Sasa. Certain species of bamboo can reach heights of from 20 to 30 meters (66 to 98 feet).
- The hard or woody, jointed, often hollow stems of these plants, used in construction, crafts, and fishing poles.
Origin:
Origin: Back-formation from earlier bambos (taken as pl.)
Origin: , from Dutch bamboes
Origin: , of Malay or Dravidian origin
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