beech family

[ beech fam-uh-lee, fam-lee ]

noun

1. the plant family Fagaceae, characterized by mostly deciduous trees and shrubs having alternate, usually toothed or lobed leaves, male flowers in catkins and female flowers either solitary or in clusters, and bearing a nut enclosed in a cupule or bur, including the beeches, chestnuts, and oaks.

Word History and Origins

Origin of beech family¹

First recorded in 1895–1900