Lauraceae

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A botanical family known for aromatic trees and shrubs, including species such as bay laurel and cinnamon varieties
2. A group of flowering plants typically characterized by their aromatic leaves and essential oils, frequently found in tropical and subtropical regions
3. A diverse family of plants recognized for their economic importance, including various culinary and medicinal species often utilized in cooking and traditional medicine

Etymology: Lauraceae is the botanical family name for the laurel family, and its name comes straight from the genus "Laurus," the classical laurel, whose name the ancient Romans used for the bay tree. The family is named after that genus, following the standard botanical convention of forming family names from a type genus with the ending "-aceae." The laurel itself carried a heavy symbolic load in antiquity. Its leaves were woven into wreaths for victors, poets and emperors, and the Latin word "laurus" gave English the adjective "laureate" and the phrase "poet laureate." The family that bears its name is far broader than the plant the Romans knew, and includes cinnamon, camphor and avocado, so the family name points back to one familiar tree while covering a very different range of plants.

Synonyms: laurel family, laurelaceae, avocado family, bay family