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Glite Dictionary
dogwood family

dogwood family

7.5
A group of flowering trees and shrubs including dogwoods
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia del cornejo
  • The dogwood family includes both deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs.

Examples

  • Many species in the dogwood family are cultivated for their attractive flowers and foliage.

  • The dogwood family includes various flowering plants.

  • Botanists classify Cornus florida, the flowering dogwood, in the dogwood family.

  • Many species in the dogwood family are used for landscaping.

  • The dogwood family includes several species that bloom in spring.

  • Members of the dogwood family are known for their beautiful flowers and unique bark.

  • In landscaping, plants from the dogwood family are often used for decorative purposes.

Synonyms

Cornaceae
vsdogwood family
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of flowering plants that includes dogwoods

has identical meaning but is the common two-word label rather than the Latin name

Surface Forms

dogwood family singular
dogwood families plural

Morphology

dogwood + family

The phrase denotes the taxonomic 'family' (grouping) associated with 'dogwood' (the tree/shrub), so its meaning as 'the family of plants that includes dogwoods' is directly and compositionally derived from the constituents. This noun+noun compositional pattern is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand it.

Etymology

Dogwood family names a group of plants that are all like the dogwood tree, with family showing they belong together. Imagine a family photo where every plant shares the same flowers and berries — that picture helps explain why the phrase means a 'group of related plants'.