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

Cutting up large or coarse ingredients like banana peels will speed up their decomposition. —Jessica Damiano, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026

Following that, business was booming for Dunn Deal, with lines wrapped around the door to get their hands on its barbecue and popular banana pudding. —Kansas City Star, 30 Apr. 2026

For example, every state seems to have a signature epicurean specialty, such as Cochinita Pibil, a stew of pork slow-roasted in a banana leaf and Sopa de Lima, a traditional lime soup made with chicken or beef and served with tortilla chips. —Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Apr. 2026

Others, such as mango, pineapple, banana, and dragon fruit, are much higher in sugar. —Merve Ceylan, Health, 29 Apr. 2026

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