A fast-growing plant with tall, hollow, woody stems and narrow leaves. It is used for building, furniture, tools, and even as food for animals like pandas.
It entered English from Dutch or Portuguese traders, who got it from Malay or Kannada words similar to “mambu” or “bambu.” These came from languages spoken where the plant naturally grows.
Bamboo can grow so quickly that you can almost measure it with a ruler in a single day. It’s technically a grass, not a tree, yet in many cultures it replaces wood, steel, and even plastic.
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