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papaya family

papaya family

7.5
A group of tropical trees and plants that include papaya and have milky sap and large leaves
  • noun
  • /pəˈpaɪə ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia de la papaya
  • Scientists studied the milky sap unique to the papaya family for its medicinal properties.

Examples

  • The papaya family includes several species of tropical fruit-bearing trees.

  • Members of the papaya family can be found in both Africa and the Americas.

  • The papaya family includes many tropical plants.

  • Did you know that the papaya family has diverse species?

  • Plants from the papaya family are vital to many ecosystems in tropical regions.

  • The papaya family features trees that produce fruits enjoyed around the world.

  • Many gardeners appreciate the large leaves of the papaya family for landscaping.

Synonyms

Caricaceae
vspapaya family
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of tropical trees and shrubs with milky sap and large lobed leaves including papaya

is the common descriptive name used in nontechnical speech for that family

Surface Forms

papaya family singular

Morphology

papaya + family

The meaning 'a family of plants related to papaya' is directly and compositionally derived from 'papaya' (the plant) + 'family' (a grouping of related species). This noun+noun taxonomic construction is common across languages and standard in English, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

The name papaya family comes from the most famous member, the papaya, a tropical tree with big, hand-shaped leaves and white 'milky sap'. People used these clear features to name a 'family' of similar trees, so papaya family means 'a group of trees related to the papaya'.