/ ˌbæmˈbuː; NAmE / noun
[ C , U ] ( pl. -oos ) a tall tropical plant that is a member of the grass family and has hard hollow stems that are used for making furniture, poles, etc. :
a bamboo grove
a bamboo chair
bamboo shoots (= young bamboo plants that can be eaten)
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WORD ORIGIN
late 16th cent.: from Dutch bamboes , based on Malay mambu .