[ban] vb banned ; ban.ning [ME bannen to summon, curse, fr. OE bannan to summon; akin to OHG bannan to command, L fari to speak, Gk phanai to say, phone sound, voice] vt (12c) 1 archaic: curse
2: to prohibit esp. by legal means "~ discrimination"; also: to prohibit the use, performance, or distribution of "~ a book" "~ a pesticide" ~ vi: to utter curses or maledictions
[2]ban n [ME, partly fr. bannen & partly fr. OF ban, of Gmc origin; akin to OHG bannan to command] (14c) 1: the summoning in feudal times of the king's vassals for military service
2: anathema, excommunication
3: malediction, curse
4: legal or formal prohibition
5: censure or condemnation esp. through social pressure [3]ban n, pl ba.ni [Rom] (1880): a monetary unit of Romania equal to 1/100 leu