noun
or ban·ian ˈbanyən sometimes -nˌyan or -nēən or -nēˌan or ˈbənyən
( -s )
Etymology: Hindi baniyā, from Sanskrit vāṇija merchant, from vaṇij merchant
1. or ba·nia or ba·niya -nyə, -nēə, -nēˌ(y)ä
a. : one of a caste of Hindu merchants and traders
b. : a loose shirt, gown, or jacket that is worn in India
2. also ban·yan tree
[from a banyan pagoda erected under a tree of the species grown near Bandar Abbas, southern Iran]
: an East Indian tree ( Ficus bengalensis ) the branches of which send out numerous trunks that grow down to the soil and form props so that a single tree thus covers a very large area