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

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent this week said that the administration will announce lower tariffs on produce that isn’t grown in the United States, including bananas and coffee. —David Goldman, CNN Money, 14 Nov. 2025

The executive order also removes tariffs on tea, fruit juice, cocoa, spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes and certain fertilizers. —NPR, 14 Nov. 2025

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted at tariff cuts on items like coffee and bananas, which have seen price increases. —Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 14 Nov. 2025

With 312 mg of potassium in a green kiwi, the kiwi is up there with bananas. —Cory Martin, Verywell Health, 13 Nov. 2025

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

Rhymes for banana

• arana
• arcana
• bandana
• bandanna
• brahmana
• cabana
• campana
• diana
• fianna
• hosanna
• hyaena
• lantana

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