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bam·boo (băm-b)
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n. pl. bam·boos
1. Any of various usually woody, temperate or tropical plants chiefly of the genera Arundinaria, Bambusa, Dendrocalamus, Phyllostachys, or Sasa in the grass family. Certain species of bamboo can reach heights of 20 to 30 meters (66 to 98 feet).
2. The hard or woody, jointed, often hollow stems of these plants, used in construction and to make various kinds of utensils.
3. Fabric or yarn manufactured from these plants.
[Back-formation from earlier bambos (taken as pl.), from Dutch bamboes, of Malay or Dravidian origin.]
(click for a larger image)
bamboo
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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