geranium family
- noun
- /dʒəˈreɪniəm ˈfæmɪli/
- Specialized
- Many members of the geranium family are popular in gardens for their colorful blooms.
Examples
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Botanists study the geranium family for its diversity and adaptability to different climates.
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The geranium family includes both perennial and annual flowering species.
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The geranium family includes many beautiful plants.
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I love the flowers of the geranium family.
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Many members of the geranium family are popular in gardens for their colorful blooms.
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The geranium family includes both perennial and annual flowering species.
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Botanists study the geranium family for its diversity and adaptability to different climates.
Synonyms
A family of flowering plants that includes garden plants like geraniums and pelargoniums
A group of mainly small plants like geraniums with lobed leaves and five-petaled flowers
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositionally transparent: 'geranium' names a plant and 'family' denotes a grouping, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to the taxonomic group including geraniums (Geraniaceae). This noun + family pattern is common and cross-linguistically recognizable, so the overall meaning is readily derivable from the constituents.
Etymology
Geranium family comes from the garden flower geranium and the everyday word family for a group. Plant experts called a set of similar plants a 'family', so Geranium family means the group of plants that are like geraniums.