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Glite Dictionary
yam family

yam family

6.7
A group of flowering plants that includes yams and other plants with starchy underground tubers
  • noun
  • /jæm ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia de las ñames
  • The yam family includes several plants with starchy tubers used as food in many cultures.

Examples

  • Botanists classify yams under the yam family, which is scientifically known as Dioscoreaceae.

  • Many wild species in the yam family have medicinal properties and are studied for their uses.

  • The yam family includes various species of tubers.

  • Did you know that the yam family is quite diverse?

  • Scientists have identified over 600 species in the yam family that grow in tropical regions.

  • The yam family is known for its unique characteristics, including twining vines and edible tubers.

  • Many farmers cultivate plants from the yam family for their nutritional value and versatility.

Synonyms

Dioscoreaceae
vsyam family
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of flowering plants like yams that have edible tubers

is the everyday common name for that same plant family

Surface Forms

yam family singular
yam families plural

Morphology

yam + family

The meaning 'a family of flowering plants that includes yams and related species' is directly and compositionally derived from 'yam' (the starchy edible root) combined with 'family' (a grouping of related species). This noun + noun taxonomic naming pattern is literal and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

Yam family comes from how plant scientists group plants that are related to the yam. Like a human family, the word family shows these plants share features and a close relationship, so yam family means 'the group of plants related to yams'.