bamboo

noun

bam·​boo (ˌ)bam-ˈbü  ˈbam-ˌbü 

plural bamboos

often attributive

: any of various woody or arborescent grasses (as of the genera Bambusa, Arundinaria, and Dendrocalamus of the subfamily Bambusoideae) of tropical and temperate regions having hollow stems, thick rhizomes, and shoots that are used for food

also : the jointed stem of bamboo used especially for building, furniture, and utensils

Illustration of bamboo

Examples of bamboo in a Sentence

Bamboo grows in the grove near the house.

We cut down some bamboos.

Recent Examples on the Web

Straight knitting needles are usually composed of carbon fiber, bamboo, wood, plastic or metal, while circular knitting needles are needle tips connected with a thin cord. —Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 9 May 2025

The eye-catching structure was created for Expo 2025 in Japan using a combination of cardboard, bamboo, and carbon fiber. —Adam Williams may 05, New Atlas, 5 May 2025

Various common names include false bamboo and Japanese fleece flower. —Martha Proctor, Mercury News, 1 May 2025

Muzaffar said that he and his brother, Ali, were taken to a local base, where the soldiers shackled them to chairs and beat them with bamboo rods. —Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Malay bambu

First Known Use

1586, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bamboo

• bamboo curtain
• bamboo shoots

Rhymes for bamboo

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• beaucoup
• bijou
• breakthrough

Kids Definition

bamboo

noun

bam·​boo bam-ˈbü 

plural bamboos

: any of various chiefly tropical tall woody grasses including some with strong hollow stems used for building, furniture, or utensils

also : the strong woody stem of bamboo

bamboo adjective