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ba·nan·a

(bə-nănə)

1. Any of several treelike plants of the genus Musa, especially M. acuminata, having a terminal crown of large, entire leaves and a hanging cluster of fruits.

2. The elongated, edible fruit of these plants, having a thick yellowish to reddish skin and whitish, pulpy flesh.

[Portuguese and Spanish, from Wolof, Mande, and Fulani.]

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banana

Musa sp.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

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Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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