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Glite Dictionary
ebony family

ebony family

8.4
A family of tropical trees like persimmon and ebony that give fruit and hard wood
  • noun
  • /ˈɛbəni ˈfæmɪli/
translation icon : familia del ébano
  • Botanists classify Diospyros under the ebony family.

Examples

  • The ebony family includes several species of trees.

  • Persimmons and ebonies both belong to the ebony family.

  • The ebony family contains species known for their hard, dark wood and edible fruit.

  • Have you ever seen an ebony family of trees?

  • The ebony family includes several species of trees that produce dense and dark hardwood.

  • Many tropical regions are home to members of the ebony family, known for their valuable timber.

  • The fruit of the ebony family, such as the persimmon, is enjoyed for its sweet flavor.

Synonyms

Ebenaceae
vsebony family
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of trees and shrubs, like ebony and persimmon, that grow in warm regions

focuses on fruit and timber trees rather than including shrubs

Surface Forms

ebony family singular
ebony families plural

Morphology

ebony + family

The phrase 'ebony family' is a straightforward composition of 'ebony' (a tropical hardwood/tree) and 'family' (a grouping of related species), so it denotes the taxonomic group that includes ebony and related trees. This noun+noun naming pattern is common and logically inferable, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can deduce the meaning.

Etymology

Ebony family comes from naming a group of related plants a family, with the dark-wood tree ebony as a well-known member. So, ebony family means 'a group of fruit and timber trees that includes ebony and persimmon'.