Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
family Labiatae

family Labiatae

7.6
A large plant family of herbs with a strong smell, like mint and rosemary
  • noun
  • /ˈfæmɪli ˌlæbiˈeɪti/
  • Archaic
translation icon : familia Labiatae
  • Many culinary herbs, such as mint and basil, belong to the family Labiatae.

Examples

  • The characteristic flowers of the family Labiatae are two-lipped and highly aromatic.

  • Botanists now refer to the family Labiatae as Lamiaceae in most scientific literature.

  • The family Labiatae includes many popular herbs.

  • Did you know that the family Labiatae contains mint and basil?

  • Many culinary herbs, such as mint and basil, belong to the family Labiatae.

  • The characteristic flowers of the family Labiatae are two-lipped and highly aromatic.

  • Did you know that the family Labiatae contains mint and basil?

Synonyms

mint family
vsfamily Labiatae
  • Specialized
1 3.3

A group of scented herbs like mint, thyme, and rosemary

uses a formal botanical label instead of the casual common term
Lamiaceae
vsfamily Labiatae
  • Specialized
9.2

A family of plants with strong smells, like mint and rosemary

uses an older alternative botanical label rather than the modern name
family Lamiaceae
vsfamily Labiatae
  • Specialized
7.4

A group of plants with a strong smell, like mint and rosemary

is the historical or variant scientific label instead of the common term
Labiatae
vsfamily Labiatae
  • Archaic
9.9

A family of aromatic herbs and shrubs like mint and sage

uses the modern botanical name rather than the outdated label

Surface Forms

family Labiatae singular
families Labiatae plural

Morphology

family + Labiatae

The word 'family' clearly signals a taxonomic grouping, which a B1 learner can understand; however 'Labiatae' is a Latin taxon name whose internal meaning (that it denotes the mint/herb family) is not predictable from its form. Learners can infer that this is a named biological family but cannot derive the specific botanical content (aromatic herbs like mint, thyme, etc.) without prior knowledge, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Family Labiatae comes from the Latin word labia meaning 'lips' because the flowers have two lip-like parts that look like small mouths. That's why the name refers to the mint group of herbs such as mint, thyme and sage and helps you remember their 'two-lipped' flowers.