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

Vendors hawk bananas and doughnuts at small outdoor markets. —Sophie Neiman, Christian Science Monitor, 8 May 2025

Food truck Troika serves everything from Mayan pumpkin dip to banoffee pie, thick with bananas and caramel. —Anya Von Bremzen, AFAR Media, 8 May 2025

Tasting Notes: Dark chocolate, caramelized banana, cinnamon, and oak. —Emily Price, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025

Some great options include small palms, hardy banana, cannas, hibiscus, spineless succulents, bedding flowers, and grasses. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 May 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