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Glite Dictionary
cycad family

cycad family

9.5
An ancient family of plants that look like palms and grow from cones
  • noun
  • /ˈsaɪkæd ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia de las cícadas
  • Members of the cycad family are often mistaken for palms due to their similar appearance.

Examples

  • Fossil records show that plants from the cycad family were abundant in prehistoric forests.

  • The cycad family includes several species that have existed since the age of dinosaurs.

  • The cycad family includes many ancient species.

  • Did you know the cycad family has existed for millions of years?

  • Fossil records show that plants from the cycad family were abundant in prehistoric forests.

  • Members of the cycad family are often mistaken for palms due to their similar appearance.

  • The cycad family includes several species that have existed since the age of dinosaurs.

Synonyms

family Cycadaceae
vscycad family
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of ancient seed plants that look like palm trees

is the common phrasing for the same plant family rather than formal taxonomy

Surface Forms

cycad family singular
cycad families plural

Morphology

cycad + family

The phrase is directly compositional: 'cycad' names a type of plant and 'family' denotes a taxonomic grouping, so 'cycad family' straightforwardly means the family grouping of cycads. This noun + family construction is a common, cross-linguistically transparent pattern in scientific naming, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

The name cycad family comes from the plants called cycads and the word family, which means 'a group'. Imagine a 'family' of palm-like plants with stiff leaves that lived when dinosaurs walked the Earth, and you see why cycad family means 'a group of these ancient plants'.