grape family: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowTechnical/Specialist
Quick answer
What does “grape family” mean?
The plant family Vitaceae, which includes grapevines and related species.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The plant family Vitaceae, which includes grapevines and related species.
In everyday or figurative use, it can refer to a group of things related by type or origin, or sometimes used to mean 'the family in the grape business'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The term is equally rare in both dialects.
Connotations
Neutral and technical in both varieties.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general English; appears almost exclusively in botanical texts.
Grammar
How to Use “grape family” in a Sentence
The [plant] is a member of the grape family.[Genus] belongs to the grape family.Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might be used in the wine or horticulture industry to discuss plant stock.
Academic
Used in botany, plant biology, and horticulture papers.
Everyday
Virtually never used. Likely to cause confusion or be interpreted literally.
Technical
Standard term in botanical taxonomy for the family Vitaceae.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “grape family”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “grape family”
- Using 'grape family' to mean a family that grows grapes (use 'grape-growing family').
- Capitalising incorrectly in non-scientific text (should be lowercase except 'Vitaceae').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a specialist botanical term (Vitaceae). In everyday conversation, it is ambiguous and rarely used.
It would be confusing. It's better to say 'my family is in the grape business' or 'we are a grape-growing family'.
The common grapevine (Vitis vinifera), the Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), and the Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata).
No, they are synonyms. 'Vitaceae' is the formal Latin scientific name, and 'grape family' is its English common name.
The plant family Vitaceae, which includes grapevines and related species.
Grape family is usually technical/specialist in register.
Grape family: in British English it is pronounced /ɡreɪp ˈfæm.əl.i/, and in American English it is pronounced /ɡreɪp ˈfæm.əl.i/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'GRAPE' vines are all in the same FAMILY: Vitaceae.
Conceptual Metaphor
FAMILY AS A CATEGORY (a group of related entities).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'grape family' most appropriately used?