n.
Pronunciation: b ə - ' na-n ə , esp Brit - ' nä-
Function: noun
Usage: often attrib
Etymology: Spanish or Portuguese; Spanish, from Portuguese, of African origin; akin to Wolof banaana banana
Date: 1597
1 : an elongated usually tapering tropical fruit with soft pulpy flesh enclosed in a soft usually yellow rind
2 : any of several widely cultivated perennial herbs (genus Musa of the family Musaceae, the banana family) bearing bananas in compact pendent bunches
banana