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

Folate comes from foods like leafy greens, bananas, legumes, and eggs, while folic acid is found in supplements and fortified foods. —Molly Burford, Verywell Health, 17 Oct. 2025

This picture book is immersive, evoking the itch of a sweater or the satisfying softness of a banana (as opposed to other intolerably crunchy snacks). —Sara Rowe Mount, Parents, 15 Oct. 2025

One such example is how cheap bananas almost ended the world. —Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025

The water and fertilizer requirements coupled with comparatively small crop yields means that a single avocado possesses about double the carbon footprint as a banana and five times that of an apple. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 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