-aceous, -acea, -aceae, -aceaen, -aceus

(Latin: a suffix; having the quality of, of the nature of, characterized by, belonging to, resembling)

There are hunderds of words that utilize the -aceous suffix which are not shown here; however, the following will present important examples.

A suffix that forms adjectives and is used with technical combinations, especially in biological terms: "pertaining or belonging to, of the nature of, or characterized by; to be full of, to possess abundantly". The suffix -acea usually denotes "orders and classes in zoology" while the suffix -aceae usually denotes "orders and families in botany" and -aceaen is used to denote members of "orders of the animal kingdom".

acanthaceous (adjective), more acanthaceous, most acanthaceous
Regarding something bearing prickles or spines; having spinous processes: Some plants, as with rosebushes or boysenberry bushes. are considered to be acanthaceous!
-aceous (suffix)
A suffix that forms adjectives and is used with technical combinations, especially in biological terms: Pertaining or belonging to, of the nature of, or characterized by; to be full of, to possess abundantly are meanings that the suffix -aceous conveys.

The suffix is present in the term acanthaceous, presented in the previous entry.

alliaceous (adjective), more alliaceous, most alliaceous
1. Of or pertaining to the botanical genus Allium, including garlic, onions, leeks, etc.: Jeremy was growing a lot of alliaceous plants in his garden so he would have a good supply of garlic bulbs and onions available for meals during the winter.
2. Descriptive of the strong odor or taste of garlic and onions: There are some people who get hungry when they smell alliaceous scents coming from frying onions and/or garlic while there are others who cannot endure the alliaceous odors.
Oder of garlic, onions, or leeks.
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ampullaceous (adjective), more ampullaceous, most ampullaceous
1. Like a bottle or inflated bladder; bottle-shaped: The balloon that Jack filled with water had an ampullaceous shape, quite similar to that of a filled flask.
2. Regarding one of the peculiar cavities in the tissues of sponges, containing the zooidal cells: An ampullaceous sac, like a pouch-like structure, was pictured in Jane's book about sponges.
amygdalaceous (adjective) (not comparable)
Regarding something similar to, or derived from an almond: There are milky juices that are found in the fruits of amygdalaceous palms and other plants.

The cookies had an amygdalaceous fragrance and taste after baking.

amylaceous (adjective) (not comparable)
Concerning starch, or of the nature of starch; starchy: Dr. Black told Jane that she should avoid amylaceous foods in order to cure her ailment.
apiaceous (adjective) (not comparable)
In botany, pertaining to the family Apiaceae: Some apiaceous vegetables include carrots, parsnips, parsley, and celery.
arboraceous (adjective), more arboraceous, most arboraceous
1. Abounding in trees: The house that Jill and Thomas bought was next to a huge arboraceous or wooded area with lots of wild animals.
2. A reference to a tree-like or wooded characteristic: The picture that little Sally drew showed arboraceous shapes with blue clouds and a sun!
arenarious (adjective), more arenarious, most arenarious
A description of deposits that are composed of sand: sandy: Joan read that carrots, for example, thrive best in arenarious soil.

Susan loved the feeling of arenarious matter under her feet when walking on the beach.

argillaceous (adjective), more argillaceous, most argillaceous
Of the nature of clay; largely composed of clay: Argillaceous rocks or sediments are those that contain very fine-grained soil that is pliable when moist but becomes hard when fired.
asteroid belt (proper noun)
The region of the solar system between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter: Several minor planets are located in the asteroid belt, along Ceres, the dwarf planet.
bibacious (adjective), more bibacious, most bibacious
Addicted to drinking alcohol: Tom's uncle was certainly disposed consuming an excess of beer and was quite bibacious when watching soccer games on TV.
bulbaceous (adjective), more bulbaceous, most bulbaceous
Concerning a plant growing from a bulb; bulbous: Jane wanted to plant some narcissus, and found out that they were bulbaceous flowers.
butyraceous (adjective), more butyraceous, most butyraceous
Buttery in consistency; containing, having properties of, or resembling butter: The sandwich spread Susy used was quite butyraceous, soft and smooth, and had quite a garlic taste to it.
capacious (kuh PAY shuhs) (adjective), more capacious, most capacious
1. A reference to that which can contain a large amount or quantity; roomy and spacious or large in area: James likes a jacket with more capacious pockets so he can stuff a lot of things into them.
2. Etymology: from Latin capax, capac-; from capere, "to take".
Conveying the idea that something is roomy and spacious.
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A reference to something that is able to contain a large quantity or has plenty of room for someone.
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Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.

Also see this closely related -eous suffix unit.