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View synonyms for banana

banana

[ 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, especially that of M. paradisiaca, with yellow or reddish rind.


banana

/ bəˈnɑːnə /

noun

  1. any of several tropical and subtropical herbaceous treelike plants of the musaceous genus Musa , esp M. sapientum , a widely cultivated species propagated from suckers and having hanging clusters of edible fruit
  2. the crescent-shaped fruit of any of these plants Compare plantain 2


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Word History and Origins

Origin of banana1

1590–1600; < Spanish < Portuguese (perhaps 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 uncertain

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Word History and Origins

Origin of banana1

C16: from Spanish or Portuguese, of African origin

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Idioms and Phrases

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

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Example Sentences

These are young fathers, rural farmers, usually growing banana or coffee or subsistence crops.

Read on to find out what you need to know before whipping up bug-infused banana bread.

Trista goes about making the shake, mashing up a banana, adding cherry syrup, a bit of milk, and soft-serve ice cream.

She also recommends the banana split shake: strawberry, chocolate, and a mashed banana.

“You have to try my cherry banana shake,” waitress Trista says.

The broad veranda was shaded by a clump of tall banana-trees, swaying to and fro in the gentle breeze.

The plant from which is made what is called Manila hemp belongs to the same family as the banana and the plantain.

The next time the fruit disappeared, I found a banana all smashed up in Kari's pavilion.

Down in the court a silvery fountain played among palms and banana trees.

Beyond the door was a banana tree, with ten-foot leaves, and a little black monkey loping around under it, sort of indifferent.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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