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Glite Dictionary
Piperaceae

Piperaceae

9.9
A family of tropical plants like the black pepper plant with small flowers and a strong smell
  • noun
  • /ˌpaɪpəˈreɪʃiˌi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Piperaceae
  • The Piperaceae family includes the black pepper plant widely used as a spice.

Examples

  • Researchers have studied the medicinal properties of several plants in the Piperaceae family.

  • Many species in the Piperaceae are native to tropical regions and valued for their aromatic qualities.

  • The Piperaceae family includes many plants used for spices.

  • Can you name a plant from the Piperaceae family?

  • Many species in the Piperaceae family are native to tropical regions and are valued for their aromatic characteristics.

  • Plants in the Piperaceae family, such as black pepper, are commonly used to enhance flavor in cooking.

  • The Piperaceae family comprises various species known for their aromatic properties and small, clustered flowers.

Synonyms

pepper family
vsPiperaceae
  • Specialized
7.2

A family of tropical plants like black pepper vines with a strong smell and small flowers in spikes

is the formal scientific name for that same plant family

Surface Forms

Piperaceae singular

Morphology

Piperaceae = Piper (opaque) = Piper + aceae

The suffix '-aceae' is a specialized Latin taxonomic ending (meaning 'family') not productive or familiar to general English learners, so the family name is not transparently interpretable from its parts.

Etymology

The word Piperaceae begins with Piper, the old Latin name for the spice 'pepper', and ends with -aceae, a Latin ending that means 'family of plants'. So Piperaceae literally means the 'pepper family', which helps explain why it includes black pepper and other aromatic pepper plants.