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Glite Dictionary
barberry family

barberry family

9.2
A group of shrubs and small plants that includes barberry
  • noun
  • /ˈbɑːrbəri ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia de los agracejos
  • Several members of the barberry family thrive in temperate regions worldwide.

Examples

  • The barberry family contains many species used in traditional medicine and ornamental gardening.

  • Botanists are studying the unique characteristics of plants within the barberry family.

  • The barberry family includes various shrubs and herbs.

  • Many plants in the barberry family are known for their medicinal properties.

  • The barberry family includes various shrubs that thrive in different climates.

  • Many plants in the barberry family have medicinal properties that are recognized in herbal medicine.

  • The barberry family features bright yellow flowers, making them popular in garden landscapes.

Synonyms

Berberidaceae
vsbarberry family
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of flowering bushes and small plants like barberries

is the common English name rather than the scientific label

Surface Forms

barberry family singular
barberry families plural

Morphology

barberry + family

The phrase is directly compositional: 'barberry' names a plant and 'family' denotes a biological grouping, so 'barberry family' straightforwardly refers to the taxonomic group containing barberry and related species. This is a literal, cross-linguistically common noun phrase pattern and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

The name barberry family comes from the common shrub barberry, a thorny plant with small red berries. Plant experts used that plant's name for a whole 'family' of similar plants, so barberry family means 'a group of plants related to barberry'.