Definition of "bamboo" []

• Any of various usually woody, temperate or tropical grasses of the genera Arundinaria, Bambusa, Dendrocalamus, Phyllostachys, or Sasa. Certain species of bamboo can reach heights of from 20 to 30 meters (66 to 98 feet). (noun)
• The hard or woody, jointed, often hollow stems of these plants, used in construction, crafts, and fishing poles. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The bamboo is gorgeous but not as durable as the hardwood in the rest of the house."
• "Errol Flynn popularised the idea of using thin bamboo rafts to silently glide along the river."
• "Rob got some hands-on time with some of the more visually interesting models, including one netbook covered in bamboo, and others covered in very Vegas-appropriate gold lamé or Lamborghini co-branding."