bamboo
[bam-boo]
- 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.
- the stem of such a plant, used as a building material and for making furniture, poles, etc.
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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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for bamboo
Contemporary Examples
The young man weaves through clusters of bamboo and cuts a diagonal slash into a tree, positioning a hollow log at the end.
Some facilities had begun erecting “bamboo hand washing stations” at the entrance to hospitals, but not enough.
When she was young, the homes were made of bamboo and there were no cars or motorbikes.
Tell that to the nearby pandas, happily ensconced with their bamboo, magnificently ignoring everything.
The rooms are cold and the bamboo sticks are infused with aromas; each room exudes a different Japanese scent.
Historical Examples
The framework is of bamboo, strengthened and held taut with wire guys.
Flying MachinesW.J. Jackman and Thos. H. Russell
Bamboo is used in the construction of the body frame, and also for the frame of the tail.
Flying MachinesW.J. Jackman and Thos. H. Russell
Dschang Go has a bamboo drum with two drum-sticks (and his donkey).
The Chinese Fairy BookVarious
The “bamboo basket” is a Moses motive which occurs in other Chinese fairy-tales.
The Chinese Fairy BookVarious
Within the room was a bed of bamboo, without covers or pillows.
The Chinese Fairy BookVarious
bamboo
- 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)
- the stem of any of these plants, used for building, poles, and furniture
- any of various bamboo-like grasses of the genera Arundinaria, Phyllostachys or Dendrocalamus
- (modifier) made of bambooa bamboo fence
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Word Origin
C16: probably from Malay bambu
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for bamboo
n.
1590s, from Dutch bamboe, from Portuguese bambu, earlier mambu (16c.), probably from Malay samambu, though some suspect this is itself an imported word.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper