grass family

American  

noun

1. the large plant family Gramineae (or Poaceae), characterized by mostly herbaceous but sometimes woody plants with hollow and jointed stems, narrow sheathing leaves, petalless flowers borne in spikelets, and fruit in the form of seedlike grain, and including bamboo, sugarcane, numerous grasses, and cereal grains such as barley, corn, oats, rice, rye, and wheat.

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Example Sentences

These members of the grass family are the fastest-growing plants in the world.

From Textbooks • Feb. 13, 2015

But as unassuming as the grass family seems, it helps to both feed and build the world.

From New York Times • Jul. 12, 2012

The plant is a member of the grass family whose oldest incarnation, flint, is represented in this particular plot.

From New York Times • Jul. 31, 2010

Today, the grass family contains more than 10,000 species — that’s more species of grass than species of bird — and grasslands cover about a third of the planet’s landmasses.

From New York Times • Mar. 3, 2010

Corn.—Maize or Indian corn is the seed of a plant, Zea mays, a member of the grass family.

From Commercial Geography A Book for High Schools, Commercial Courses, and Business Colleges by Redway, Jacques W. (Jacques Wardlaw)