agave family
- noun
- /əˈɡeɪv ˈfæmɪli/
- Specialized
- 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
A group of plants like agave that grow in hot dry places
A group of plants from dry, warm places, like agave, that provide strong fibers
Surface Forms
Morphology
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'.