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Definition of bamboo

bamboo

/bæmˈbuː/
bam · boo
Plural:bamboos
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bamboo Lexical Profile

bamboo Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A giant woody grass of the subfamily Bambusoideae within the grass family Poaceae, native primarily to tropical and warm temperate regions of Asia, the Americas, and Africa, characterized by its rapid growth and hollow, jointed stalks.

Example

"The giant panda's diet consists almost entirely of bamboo, requiring it to consume up to forty pounds of the tough stalks every day."

2

The hard, woody, and hollow stem of the bamboo plant, used widely as a versatile structural material for furniture, scaffolding, textiles, and various tools.

Example

"The artisans constructed a durable and beautiful outdoor dining set entirely out of lacquered bamboo."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for bamboo

• Rhymes for bamboo

• Nearby Words

bamako
bambi
bambino
bamboo
bamboo shoot
bamboo shoots
bamboozle

Word Origin & Etymology

Late 16th century: from Dutch 'bamboe' or Portuguese 'bambu', derived from Malay 'mambu' or Kannada 'baṃbu'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Bamboo. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/bamboo
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