banana

noun

ba·​nana bə-ˈna-nə 

 especially British  -ˈnä-

1

: an elongated usually tapering tropical fruit with soft pulpy flesh enclosed in a soft usually yellow rind

a bunch of bananas

slipped on a banana peel

2

: any of several widely cultivated perennial often treelike herbs (genus Musa of the family Musaceae, the banana family) bearing bananas in compact pendent bunches

Illustration of banana

• banana 2

Examples of banana in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Consider the Stuffed French Toast, particularly The Elvis stuffed with bananas and peanut butter, or the homemade corned beef hash for breakfast. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 6 Jan. 2025

The album artwork shows two empty plastic chairs in a muddy grass field in front of tropical trees and green bananas. —Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 3 Jan. 2025

Feeding your cat bananas may also cause gastrointestinal issues. —Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2025

Its dusty rose plaster walls are a perfect foil for the graphic shadows of the trees, including Mexican fan palms, which sway above an understory of cacti and lush banana trees. —Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Spanish or Portuguese; Spanish, from Portuguese, of African origin; akin to Wolof banaana banana

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing banana

• banana bread
• banana clip
• banana oil
• banana pepper
• banana republic
• banana seat
• banana split
• second banana
• slip on a banana skin/peel
• top banana

Kids Definition

banana

noun

ba·​nana bə-ˈnan-ə 

: a treelike tropical plant with large leaves and flower clusters that develop into a bunch of finger-shaped fruit which are usually yellow when ripe

also : its fruit