From WordNet (r) 2.0 (August 2003) [wn]:
bamboo
n 1: the hard woody stems of bamboo plants; used in construction
and crafts and fishing poles
2: woody tropical grass having hollow woody stems; mature canes
used for construction and furniture
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Bamboo \Bam*boo"\ (b[a^]m*b[=oo]"), n. [Malay bambu, mambu.]
(Bot.)
A plant of the family of grasses, and genus Bambusa,
growing in tropical countries.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The most useful species is Bambusa arundinacea, which
has a woody, hollow, round, straight, jointed stem, and
grows to the height of forty feet and upward. The
flowers grow in large panicles, from the joints of the
stalk, placed three in a parcel, close to their
receptacles. Old stalks grow to five or six inches in
diameter, and are so hard and durable as to be used for
building, and for all sorts of furniture, for water
pipes, and for poles to support palanquins. The smaller
stalks are used for walking sticks, flutes, etc.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Bamboo \Bam*boo"\, v. t.
To flog with the bamboo.
[1913 Webster]