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agave family

agave family

8.5
A group of plants like agave that grow well in dry, hot places
  • noun
  • /əˈɡeɪv ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia de los agaves
  • The agave family includes several plants that thrive in arid environments.

Examples

  • Plants from the agave family are well-known for their rosette shapes and succulent leaves.

  • Officially known as Yucca brevifolia, it is part of the agave family.

    Blog text (17)
  • Many species in the agave family, such as the tequila agave, are important for local economies.

Synonyms

Agavaceae
vsagave family
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of plants like agave that grow in hot dry places

is the general name for the same group used nontechnically
sisal family
vsagave family
  • Specialized
8.8

A group of plants from dry, warm places, like agave, that provide strong fibers

is narrower and used as a formal classification in some taxonomies

Surface Forms

agave family singular

Morphology

Agave + family

The phrase combines a known plant name 'agave' with the common noun 'family' meaning a grouping of related species, so its overall meaning 'the plant family that includes agaves' is directly and compositionally predictable. This noun+noun/genitive construction is cross-linguistically regular and would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Agave family names a 'family' of plants built around the agave. Picture a group of similar, tough, pointed-leaf plants, and you can see why it means 'a group of related plants that includes agaves'.