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

This year banana imagery was everywhere, from the cover of Miami New Times to actual Chiquita banana stands around the Miami Beach Convention Center. —Martin Vassolo, Axios, 9 Dec. 2024

The drugs, worth estimated $250 million, were found by authorities as part of a banana shipment originating from Guatemala that arrived at the Caucedo port in the capital of Santo Domingo. —Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 8 Dec. 2024

Many of the finalist recipes this year featured fruit flavors, from cranberry and cherry to apple and banana. —Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 4 Dec. 2024

Judging Panel as exhibiting: An aromatic nose with hints of allspice and banana offers a clean, herbaceous complexity on the palate. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 3 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