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

After the young widow stepped back behind the black curtains, where scoops of mint chocolate chip in disposable bamboo bowls drifted through a room of donors and White House staffers, the evening moved from celebration to wake. — Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 29 Sep. 2026

Crate-trained, traveling only with bamboo, water, treats Ping Ping and Fu Shuang began their 8,000-mile journey in the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, the largest panda breeding facility in China. — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026

Remodeled from an existing hotel, the boxy structures are connected by meandering paths and stairways punctuated by olive and bamboo trees. — Rachel Howard, Travel + Leisure, 26 Sep. 2026

These ingredients soak into its bamboo sheet and hug the skin well once applied. — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026

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