Plural of bamboo; tall, woody grass plants with hollow stems that grow in tropical and subtropical regions, used for building and crafts.
From Dutch bamboe, which came from Malay bambu or Indonesian bambu. The word traveled through Portuguese traders in Southeast Asia. Bamboo itself is native to Asia and the name was adopted into European languages through trade contact.
Bamboo grows so incredibly fast—some species can grow over 3 feet per day—that it's one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth, which is why it's considered more sustainable than wood for many uses, yet it became a symbol of Asian culture in European languages precisely because it seemed so exotic and strange.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.