bamboo

American  

[bam-boo] / bæmˈbu /

noun

bamboos plural

1. any of the woody or treelike tropical and semitropical grasses of the genera Bambusa, Phyllostachys, Dendrocalamus, and allied genera, having woody, usually hollow stems with stalked blades and flowering only after years of growth.

2. the stem of such a plant, used as a building material and for making furniture, poles, etc.

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bamboo British  

/ bæmˈbuː /

noun

1. any tall treelike tropical or semitropical fast-growing grass of the genus Bambusa , having hollow woody-walled stems with ringed joints and edible young shoots ( bamboo shoots )

2. the stem of any of these plants, used for building, poles, and furniture

3. any of various bamboo-like grasses of the genera Arundinaria , Phyllostachys or Dendrocalamus

4. (modifier) made of bamboo

   a bamboo fence

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bamboos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bamboo

1590–1600; spelling variant of earlier bambu < Malay, apparently < Dravidian; compare Kannada bambu, bombu a large, hollow bam-boo (or directly < Dravidian); replacing bambus < Dutch bamboes; compare New Latin bambūsa

Explanation

Bamboo is a woody plant with a hollow stem that's in the grass family. When bamboo is harvested and processed, it can be used to make things like flooring, paper, and chopsticks. If bamboo is prepared correctly, it can be eaten — you'll find bamboo shoots in many Chinese dishes, for example. Without the right preparation, though, bamboo is toxic to humans. Many products are made from bamboo in part because it's one of the fastest-growing plants in the world. Bamboo is originally from the Dutch bamboe, which in turn comes from the Portuguese bambu. The root is thought to be the Malay word samambu.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bamboo bamboos

His winning edge was the carbonized bamboo filament he pioneered shortly after his initial 1879 breakthrough, providing the longevity needed to turn a novelty into a utility.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

Living in the area, I drive by it a thousand times and then I remember, “Oh yeah, there’s a rainforest in here. There’s thick stands of bamboo forest that look like Vietnam.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have previously suggested bamboo could be used instead of willow to make bats.

From BBC ● Feb. 3, 2026

As Sobie spoke to the BBC, canoes - steered with paddles or long bamboo poles - moved through the narrow waterways, carrying mattresses and sacks of clothes belonging to the displaced people.

From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2026

He lifted the bamboo cage up to his face and peered at it for a second.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

It’s giving fat bamboos and obnoxiously long nails.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2022

Unlike other heavenly bamboos that develop lanky canes over time, ‘Gulf Stream’ remains bushy and compact.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 16, 2022

We peered across thick stands of trees where Walter had taken us foraging for edible palms and rattans, and bamboos with liquid inside.

From New York Times ● Feb. 21, 2014

These include grasses and sedges; wind-pollinated shade trees such as oaks and maples; ferns; bamboos; and a host of conifers, small and large.

From Washington Post

The bamboos at the corner of the house swayed slowly under a gentle night wind and through the twilight he could see dimly the fringe of trees at the border of the near field.

From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck