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Glite Dictionary
monocot family

monocot family

7.7
A group of flowering plants whose seeds have one seed leaf
  • noun
  • /ˈmɒnəˌkɒt ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia de monocotiledóneas
  • The monocot family includes grasses and lilies.

Examples

  • The lily belongs to a monocot family distinguished by a single seed leaf.

  • Many plants from the monocot family have parallel leaf venation.

  • Palm trees are a well-known monocot family found in tropical regions.

  • Scientists classified the plant into a new monocot family after genetic analysis.

  • The orchid is a member of the monocot family and is known for its diverse species.

  • Plants in the monocot family typically have flowers with three petals and long, slender leaves.

  • The monocot family includes food crops like rice and corn, essential for many diets.

Synonyms

liliopsid family
vsmonocot family
  • Specialized
9.2

A group of flowering plants that have one seed leaf, like grasses and lilies

uses the common everyday name for the same plants

Antonyms

dicot family
  • Specialized
7.2

A group of plants that make flowers and whose seeds have two seed leaves, like beans and roses

Surface Forms

monocot family singular
monocot families plural

Morphology

monocot + family

The meaning is directly compositional: 'monocot' (a plant with one embryonic leaf) combined with 'family' (a taxonomic grouping) yields 'a family of monocot plants'. Although technical, the noun+noun composition follows standard, cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Monocot family comes from two parts: mono and cotyledon, where mono means 'one' and a cotyledon is the 'seed leaf' a plant starts with. So a monocot family is a group of plants whose seeds have one first leaf, which is why lilies, palms and grasses are in the same family.