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Glite Dictionary
willow family

willow family

6.5
A group of trees and shrubs like willows and poplars that often have hairy flower clusters
  • noun
translation icon : familia de los sauces
  • The willow family includes both willows and poplars, which are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

Examples

  • Many members of the willow family thrive in wet soils near rivers and streams.

  • Researchers studied the medicinal properties of plants in the willow family for pain relief.

  • The willow family includes many species of trees.

  • Many birds nest in the willow family trees.

  • The herbalist recommended using a remedy made from the bark of trees in the willow family for its soothing properties.

  • The willow family, which includes various tree species, is often found near rivers and wetlands.

  • Many people enjoy the aesthetic appeal of trees from the willow family for landscaping in gardens.

Synonyms

Salicaceae
vswillow family
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of flowering trees and shrubs like willows and poplars with thin hanging flower clusters

is the common name for the same family, less formal than the scientific term

Surface Forms

willow family singular
willow families plural

Morphology

willow + family

The phrase 'willow family' is directly compositional: combining 'willow' (a type of tree) with 'family' (a grouping of related species) yields the taxonomic group that includes willows. This meaning follows a common noun-of-noun pattern used across languages and would be readily inferable by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Willow family comes from naming a 'family' of plants after the common tree willow, with family meaning a group of related plants that often grow near rivers and wet ground. So, willow family today means 'a group of related trees and small bushes'.