banyan

noun

ban·​yan ˈban-yən 

-ˌyan

plural banyans

: a large fig tree (Ficus benghalensis) native to India and Pakistan that starts as an epiphyte and has spreading branches which send out aerial roots that grow down to the ground and form secondary trunks around the host tree

The banyan kills the host tree by preventing its trunk from growing. After the host dies, the banyan continues to grow. Eventually, one tree appears to be an entire forest.

—National Geographic World

Illustration of banyan

Examples of banyan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Roots drop from the upper branches like curtains and re-anchor in the soil, which is how banyans expand laterally over centuries. —Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026

The restaurant unfolds with a courtyard still anchored by its majestic banyan tree outfitted with strings of lights while new structures house two indoor dining rooms and a regal bar. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Apr. 2026

At the edge of their school ground, an old banyan tree. —Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026

The best tables at the indoor-outdoor restaurant sit beneath a gargantuan banyan tree. —Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 9 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

1638, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for banyan

• anion
• canyon
• carbanion
• companion

Kids Definition

banyan

noun

ban·​yan ˈban-yən 

: a large East Indian tree with branches that send out roots which grow downward into the ground and form new supporting trunks