banyan

ban·yan

noun \ˈban-yən, -yan\

Definition of BANYAN

: an East Indian fig tree (Ficus benghalensis) of the mulberry family with branches that send out roots which grow down to the soil and form secondary trunks

Illustration of BANYAN

Origin of BANYAN

earlier banyan Gujarati trader, from Portuguese banean, probably from Tamil vāniyan trader, from Sanskrit vāṇija; from a tree of the species in Iran under which such traders conducted business

First Known Use: 1634

Rhymes with BANYAN

canyon