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umbelliferous

American  
[uhm-buh-lif-er-uhs] / ˌʌm bəˈlɪf ər əs /

adjective

  1. bearing an umbel or umbels.

  2. belonging to the Umbelliferae, the parsley family of plants.


umbelliferous British  
/ ˌʌmbɪˈlɪfərəs /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or belonging to the Umbelliferae, a family of herbaceous plants and shrubs, typically having hollow stems, divided or compound leaves, and flowers in umbels: includes fennel, dill, parsley, carrot, celery, and parsnip

  2. designating any other plant bearing umbels

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of umbelliferous

1655–65; < New Latin umbellifer ( umbelli-, combining form of Latin umbella ( see umbel) + -fer -fer ) + -ous

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Not to use the words hiatus and credenza in the same sentence as much this year" and "to stop using the word umbelliferous in conversation altogether.

From Time Magazine Archive

The girls ticked off aquarellist, staphylococcic, gracilescent, adscititious, eupraxia, argillaceous, autochthan and umbelliferous.

From Time Magazine Archive

They are umbelliferous, and mostly perennial, herbaceous plants, but a few are biennial.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 1 A to Amide by Various

Silphium, sil′fi-um, n. a genus of American composites with resinous juice—prairie-dock, cup-plant, rosin-weed: an umbelliferous plant whose juice the ancient Greeks used—the Latin laserpitium.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

Fennel, fen′el, n. a genus of umbelliferous plants, allied to Dill, but distinguished by the cylindrical, strongly-ribbed fruit, the flower yellow.—n.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various

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