bamboo

IPA/ˌbæmˈbuː/
KK[bæmbˈu]IPA/ˌbæmˈbuː/

bamboo — noun

  • bamboosingular
  • bamboosplural

1. a fast-growing plant in the grass family, found especially in warm regions, with

1.nounB1
Definition

a fast-growing plant in the grass family, found especially in warm regions, with stiff stems that are empty inside

Example

Tall bamboo lined the path behind the temple in Kyoto.

bamboo + line a path

After the rain, young bamboo grew fast near the river.

young bamboo grows fast

Common collocations
  • bamboo forest
  • bamboo grove
  • young bamboo
  • giant bamboo
  • eat bamboo
Synonyms
  • grass

    a much broader word; bamboo is one special kind of grass

  • reed

    usually thinner and softer, often growing in wet places

  • cane

    often refers to a cut stem for use, so it fits sense 2 more closely

Grammar Patterns

a grove of bamboo

bamboo grows quickly

different bamboos

Usage Note

Usually uncountable when you mean the plant as a type or a mass of plants. The plural bamboos is more natural for kinds of bamboo or for separate plants in a garden.

Common Mistakes

There were many bamboo in the garden.
There was a lot of bamboo in the garden.' / 'There were many bamboo plants in the garden.
When bamboo means the plant in general, it is usually uncountable.

2. the plant's tough hollow stems when used for building, crafts, or poles, or one

2.nounB2
Definition

the plant's tough hollow stems when used for building, crafts, or poles, or one stem of that kind

Example

Workers used bamboo to build a simple bridge over the stream.

use bamboo to build

A bamboo pole held up the fishing net by the shore.

collocation: bamboo pole

Common collocations
  • bamboo pole
  • bamboo cane
  • bamboo tray
  • bamboo furniture
  • made of bamboo
Synonyms
  • cane

    often means one long stem used as a stick or support

  • pole

    focuses on the shape and use, not on the natural material

  • wood

    a broader material word; bamboo is not the usual kind of tree wood

  • rattan

    another natural furniture material, but it comes from a climbing palm

Grammar Patterns

made of bamboo

a bamboo pole

bamboo furniture

Usage Note

Often appears after made of or before nouns such as pole, tray, and furniture. Distinguish from sense 1, which names the living plant, and sense 3, which refers to cloth made from its fibres.

Common Mistakes

The fence is made by bamboo.
The fence is made of bamboo.
Use made of or made from for the material.

3. cloth made from the plant's fibres, often sold as soft fabric for clothes or tow

3.nounC1
Definition

cloth made from the plant's fibres, often sold as soft fabric for clothes or towels

Example

She bought bamboo socks because the fabric felt cool and soft.

bamboo + clothing item

The label says this towel is made from bamboo.

made from bamboo

Common collocations
  • bamboo fabric
  • bamboo socks
  • bamboo sheets
  • bamboo towel
  • made from bamboo
Synonyms
  • fabric

    the broad everyday word for cloth material

  • cloth

    close in meaning, often a little more general

  • textile

    more formal and often used in business or manufacturing contexts

Grammar Patterns

bamboo fabric

made from bamboo

bamboo sheets

Usage Note

Common in product labels and shop descriptions, especially for bedding, towels, and socks. Distinguish from sense 2, which refers to the hard stem rather than cloth made from it.

Common Mistakes

This shirt is bamboo.
This shirt is made from bamboo fabric.
Use bamboo here as the material, not as the full description of the product.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For sense 1, bamboo names a particular grass plant with strong hollow stems. Reed is broader and usually suggests a thinner, softer plant that often grows in wet ground. Cane can mean a stem from bamboo or a similar plant, especially after it has been cut for use, so it often fits sense 2 more closely than the living plant. Rattan is another natural material used for furniture, but it comes from a climbing palm, not from the grass family. Use bamboo when you mean the plant itself or a group of these plants. You can say pandas eat bamboo or a bamboo forest covered the hill, but not pandas eat rattan in the same sense.

bamboo ↗reed ↗cane ↗rattan

Common collocations

Nouns

  • bamboo grove
  • bamboo pole
  • bamboo furniture
  • bamboo fabric

Phrases

  • made of bamboo
  • made from bamboo

Etymology

MalayPortugueseDutchEnglish

English borrowed bamboo in the late 1500s through Dutch bamboe, which came from Portuguese bambu. The deeper source is usually linked to a Malay form, often given as samambu. As the word moved into English, it kept referring to the same well-known tall grass with hollow stems.