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

Cocktails are creative, like Irish takes on a bamboo. —Kate Dingwall, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

Wander through rose gardens, bamboo groves, an edible garden with more than 800 varieties of fruits and vegetables (nearly all of which is donated to local food banks), and a butterfly garden filled with species that attract other pollinators and hummingbirds. —Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2025

Wasuwan probed her model’s back and shoulders with a long bamboo stick, then tapped a block with a mallet on her stomach, producing a look of agonized bliss. —Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025

Here, Ne Zha 2 succeeds wildly; locales such as a heavenly city made entirely of jade and a towering, bamboo-verdant waterfall are rendered with genuinely beautiful texture and detail. —Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 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