1. Any of various usually woody, temperate or tropical grasses of the genera Arundinaria, Bambusa, Dendrocalamus, Phyllostachys, or Sasa. Certain species of bamboo can reach heights of from 20 to 30 meters (66 to 98 feet).
2. The hard or woody, jointed, often hollow stems of these plants, used in construction, crafts, and fishing poles.

[Back-formation from earlier bambos (taken as pl.), from Dutch bamboes, of Malay or Dravidian origin.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.