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banana

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Banana
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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.
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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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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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.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
banana

  1. n.
    an American of East Asian descent who acts too much like a Caucasian. (The person is yellow on the outside and white on the inside. Patterned on oreo. See also apple. Rude and derogatory.) : Stop acting like such a banana!
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

banana

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

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Abbreviations & Acronyms
BANANA
build absolutely nothing anywhere near anybody
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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