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banana definition

ba·nana (bə nan′ə)

noun

  1. any of a genus (Musa) of treelike tropical plants of the banana family, with long, broad leaves and large clusters of edible fruit; esp., any of the various hybrids widely cultivated in the Western Hemisphere
  2. the long, curved fruit of these plants which usually has a soft, sweet, whitish pulp and a thick, usually yellowish skin

Etymology: Sp & Port < native name in W Africa, as in Mande banäna

adjective

designating a family (Musaceae, order Zingiberales) of monocotyledonous tropical plants, including heliconia and bird of paradise

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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