gramineous plant
- noun
- /ˌɡræməˈniəs plænt/
- Specialized
- Many gramineous plants serve as vital food sources for both livestock and humans.
Examples
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The prairie is dominated by various gramineous plants adapted to dry conditions.
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Bamboo is an unusual gramineous plant because of its woody stem.
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The gramineous plant thrives in moist soil.
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Many gramineous plants grow in the savanna.
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Many gramineous plants serve as vital food sources for both livestock and humans.
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The prairie is dominated by various gramineous plants adapted to dry conditions.
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Many gramineous plants grow in the savanna.
Synonyms
A plant like grass such as rice, wheat, or bamboo with long narrow leaves and stems with joints
Surface Forms
Morphology
gramineous + plant
The noun phrase is simple adjective + noun composition: 'gramineous' (grass-related) + 'plant' yields 'a plant of or like the grass family', so the meaning follows directly from the constituents. Although 'gramineous' is a rare/technical adjective, if a learner knows that adjective and 'plant', the combined meaning is predictable and compositional.
Etymology
The term gramineous plant comes from the old Latin word 'gramen', which means 'grass'. The word gramineous simply means 'grass-like', so gramineous plant makes you think of a plant with long, narrow leaves and hollow, jointed stems, and that's why it means 'a grass-family plant'.
