pine family

1 4.4

A family of trees that make cones, like pines, firs, and spruces

noun
/paɪn ˈfæmɪli/

Specialized

: familia de las coníferas

Many species in the pine family are important sources of timber and paper products.

Examples

The pine family includes familiar trees like spruces, firs, and larches.
The pine family includes many species of trees.
Several members of the pine family are adapted to survive in cold, mountainous regions.
Many trees in the pine family thrive in cold climates.
The pine family includes many popular trees like pines and spruces.
Due to their hardiness, trees in the pine family are often used for reforestation.
Gardening enthusiasts appreciate the variety of species within the pine family.

Synonyms

Pinaceae

vspine family

Specialized

1 8.8

A group of trees like pines and firs that have needle-like leaves and woody cones

is the everyday name for the same group rather than the scientific label

Surface Forms

pine family singular

pine families plural

Morphology

pine + family

The meaning 'a family of coniferous trees' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'pine' (a type of conifer) with 'family' (a grouping of related species). This noun + noun compositional/taxonomic pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows standard English formation, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Pine family uses the simple idea of pine plus family: imagine a family of trees that look and grow alike, with needle leaves and cones. So it means a 'group' of closely 'related' cone-bearing trees such as pines, firs, and spruces.