Carduaceae

plural noun

Car·​du·​a·​ce·​ae

ˌkärjəˈwāsēˌē

in some classifications

: a family of plants comprising all the composites (as thistles and asters) that have syngenesious stamens and flower heads containing tubular flowers or both tubular and ligulate flowers but not ligulate flowers alone

carduaceous

¦⸗⸗¦wāshəs

adjective

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Carduus, type genus + -aceae

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!