cyc·lan·tha·ce·ae \ˌsiˌklanˈthāsēˌē, ˌsī-\noun plural Usage: capitalized Etymology: New Latin, from Cyclanthus, type genus + -aceae : a small family of plants (order Cyclanthales) that resemble palms and have monoecious flowers in dense alternating spirals or whorls around a fleshy spadix • cyc·lan·tha·ceous\| ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷|thāshəs\adjective