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Glite Dictionary
arum family

arum family

8.5
A group of flowering plants like peace lilies and philodendrons with showy flowers
  • noun
  • /ˈɛrəm ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia de los arum
  • Many common houseplants, such as the peace lily, belong to the arum family.

Examples

  • Florists often use members of the arum family for their dramatic appearance in arrangements.

  • The arum family includes plants with unusual, often striking flowers and foliage.

  • The arum family includes many popular houseplants.

  • Did you know that the arum family has over 1000 species?

  • Florists often use members of the arum family for their dramatic appearance in arrangements.

  • Many common houseplants, such as the peace lily, belong to the arum family.

  • The arum family includes plants with unusual, often striking flowers and foliage.

Synonyms

Araceae
vsarum family
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of plants that make flowers like philodendrons and peace lilies

is the common name rather than the scientific family name
family Araceae
vsarum family
  • Specialized
8.4

A large group of flowering plants like philodendrons and calla lilies

is the common everyday label rather than the formal botanical term

Surface Forms

arum family singular
arum families plural

Morphology

arum + family

The phrase literally combines 'arum' (a type of plant) with 'family' (a grouping of related species), so its meaning — a taxonomic group of arum-like plants — is directly derivable from the constituents. This compositional, noun+noun naming pattern is cross-linguistically common and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Arum family comes from an old name, arum, for plants that have a tall central spike covered by a hood-like leaf. Think of a long candle inside a green hood, and that image explains why the name means this 'group of plants' with showy flowers and leaves.