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Banana - 6 dictionary results

ba⋅nan⋅a

[buh-nan-uh]
–noun
1. a tropical plant of the genus Musa, certain species of which are cultivated for their nutritious fruit. Compare banana family.
2. the fruit, esp. that of M. paradisiaca, with yellow or reddish rind.

Origin:
1590–1600; < Sp < Pg (perh. via Sp); akin to various words for banana or plantain in WAfr languages (e.g., Wolof, Malinke banana, Vai (Mande language of Liberia) bana), but ultimate source and direction of borrowing uncert.
ba·nan·a   (bə-nān'ə)   
n.  
  1. Any of several treelike Asian herbs of the genus Musa, especially M. acuminata, having a terminal crown of large, entire leaves and a hanging cluster of fruits.
  2. The elongated, edible fruit of these plants, having a thick yellowish to reddish skin and white, aromatic, seedless pulp.

[Portuguese and Spanish, from Wolof, Mandingo, and Fulani.]

Banana

Ba*na"na\, n. [Sp. banana, name of the fruit.] (Bot.) A perennial herbaceous plant of almost treelike size (Musa sapientum); also, its edible fruit. See Musa.

Note: The banana has a soft, herbaceous stalk, with leaves of great length and breadth. The flowers grow in bunches, covered with a sheath of a green or purple color; the fruit is five or six inches long, and over an inch in diameter; the pulp is soft, and of a luscious taste, and is eaten either raw or cooked. This plant is a native of tropical countries, and furnishes an important article of food.

Banana bird (Zo["o]l.), a small American bird (Icterus leucopteryx), which feeds on the banana.

Banana quit (Zo["o]l.), a small bird of tropical America, of the genus Certhiola, allied to the creepers.
Language Translation for : Banana
Spanish: plátano, banana,
German: die Banane,
Japanese: バナナ

banana 
1597, borrowed by Sp. or Port. from a W. African word, possibly Wolof banana. The plant introduced to the New World from Africa, 1516. Banana republic is from 1935. Bananas in the slang sense of "nuts" is first recorded 1935. Top banana, second banana, etc. are 1950s, from show business slang use of banana for "comedian, especially in a burlesque show." Banana split first attested 1920.

banana

In addition to the idiom beginning with banana, also see drive someone crazy (bananas); go bananas; top banana.

BANANA
build absolutely nothing anywhere near anybody
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