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Glite Dictionary
sumac family

sumac family

7.0
A group of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, and vines like mango and poison ivy
  • noun
  • /ˈsuːmæk ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia de los anacardios
  • Poison ivy is a notorious member of the sumac family.

Examples

  • The mango tree belongs to the sumac family, along with cashew and pistachio.

  • Many members of the sumac family produce resin that can be toxic to humans.

  • The sumac family includes many interesting plants.

  • Many members of the sumac family are used in cooking.

  • Poison ivy is a notorious member of the sumac family.

  • The mango tree belongs to the sumac family, along with cashew and pistachio.

  • Many members of the sumac family produce resin that can be toxic to humans.

Synonyms

Anacardiaceae
vssumac family
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of flowering trees, shrubs, and vines including mango and cashew

is the everyday common name rather than the technical Latin name

Surface Forms

sumac family singular
sumac families plural

Morphology

sumac + family

The meaning is compositional: 'sumac' (a plant) combined with 'family' (a biological grouping) yields 'the plant family that includes sumac', which a learner can infer from the parts. The 'X family' taxonomic pattern is common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should understand this usage.

Etymology

Sumac family comes from the bright, red-berry shrub called sumac. The word family was used to mean a 'group of related plants', so the phrase now names a group that includes edible trees like mango and cashew and poisonous ones like poison ivy.