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

Entertainment & Arts Remember the $120,000 banana artwork? —Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2024

Last year, an artwork consisting of a banana duct-taped to a wall was eaten by a hungry visitor to a gallery in Seoul, South Korea. —Jack Guy, CNN, 8 Oct. 2024

He’s swapped the pre-race pizza and wine for power gels and a banana. —Karina Atkins, Chicago Tribune, 7 Oct. 2024

Due to the labor stoppage, a wide variety of products - including bananas, electronics, auto parts, pharmaceuticals and alcohol - may be impacted either by a lack of availability or a price boost. —Rachel Smith, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Oct. 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