ac·an·tha·ce·ae \ˌaˌkanˈthāsēˌē, ˌakən-\noun plural Usage: capitalized Etymology: New Latin, from Acanthus, type genus + -aceae : a family of widely distributed herbs, shrubs, and trees (order Polemoniales) having opposite leaves and tubular bracted irregular flowers with two or four stamens • ac·an·tha·ceous\|aˌkan|thāshəs, |akən-\adjective • acan·thad\əˈkan(t)thəd, -nˌthad\noun-s