n. a natural family of plants with four-petaled flowers; the mustard family. Syn. -- family Cruciferae, Brassicaceae, family Brassicaceae, mustard family. [ WordNet 1.5 ]
a. [ L. crux, crucis, cross + -ferous: cf. F. crucifère. ] 1. Bearing a cross. [ 1913 Webster ]
2. (Bot.) Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a family of plants which have four petals arranged like the arms of a cross, as the mustard, radish, turnip, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]