noun
large family of herbs or subshrubs (usually with stems swollen at the nodes)
• Syn: ↑family Caryophyllaceae, ↑carnation family, ↑pink family
• Derivationally related forms: ↑caryophyllaceous
• Hypernyms: ↑caryophylloid dicot family
• Member Holonyms: ↑Caryophyllales, ↑order Caryophyllales, ↑Chenopodiales, ↑order-Chenopodiales
• Member Meronyms:
↑caryophyllaceous plant, ↑Agrostemma, ↑genus Agrostemma, ↑Arenaria, ↑genus Arenaria, ↑Cerastium, ↑genus Cerastium, ↑Dianthus, ↑genus Dianthus, ↑genus Drypis, ↑Gypsophila, ↑genus Gypsophila, ↑Hernaria, ↑genus Hernaria, ↑Illecebrum, ↑genus Illecebrum, ↑genus Lychnis, ↑Minuartia, ↑genus Minuartia, ↑Moehringia, ↑genus Moehringia, ↑Paronychia, ↑genus Paronychia, ↑Petrocoptis, ↑genus Petrocoptis, ↑Sagina, ↑genus Sagina, ↑Saponaria, ↑genus Saponaria, ↑Scleranthus, ↑genus Scleranthus, ↑genus Silene, ↑Spergula, ↑genus Spergula, ↑Spergularia, ↑genus Spergularia, ↑Stellaria, ↑genus Stellaria, ↑Vaccaria, ↑genus Vaccaria
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\\|karē(ˌ)ōfə̇ˈlāsēˌē\ noun pluralUsage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, from Caryophyllus (II), type genus + -aceae
: a large widely distributed family of herbs or occasionally subshrubs (order Caryophyllales) usually with stems swollen at the nodes and opposite linear leaves and with symmetrical pentamerous or tetramerous flowers that have distinct stamens as numerous or twice as numerous as the sepals
Useful english dictionary. 2012.