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Glite Dictionary
maple family

maple family

5.3
A group of trees and small bushes that includes maples
  • noun
  • /ˈmeɪpəl ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia del arce
  • The maple family includes both ornamental trees and species important for timber and syrup production.

Examples

  • Many species in the maple family are valued for their brilliant autumn foliage.

  • Many trees in the maple family produce beautiful fall colors.

  • The botanist lectured on the unique characteristics of the maple family during the conference.

  • The maple family includes many species of trees.

  • Many species in the maple family produce stunning foliage colors in autumn.

  • The maple family consists of various trees that are commonly used for producing syrup.

  • Some members of the maple family are cultivated for their ornamental value in gardens.

Synonyms

Aceraceae
vsmaple family
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of trees and small bushes that includes maple trees

includes those familiar species plus their close relatives

Surface Forms

maple family singular
maple families plural

Morphology

maple + family

The phrase 'maple family' is compositionally built from 'maple' (the tree) + 'family' (a group or taxonomic grouping), so its meaning as the group of species related to maples is directly derivable by a learner who knows both words. The X + family pattern for biological/taxonomic groups is cross-linguistically common and follows regular noun + noun composition, making this immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Maple family comes from the tree maple, famous for its bright autumn leaves and its winged seeds that spin like little helicopters. By calling similar plants a family, people meant a 'group' of trees and shrubs related to the maple, so today maple family means that group.