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Webster 1913 Edition


Banana

Ba-na′na

(bȧ-nä′nȧ; 277)
,
Noun.
[Sp.
banana
, name of the fruit.]
(Bot.)
A perennial herbaceous plant of almost treelike size (
Musa sapientum
); also, its edible fruit. See
Musa
.
☞ The banana has a soft, herbaceous stalk, with leaves of great length and breadth. The flowers grow in bunches, covered with a sheath of a green or purple color; the fruit is five or six inches long, and over an inch in diameter; the pulp is soft, and of a luscious taste, and is eaten either raw or cooked. This plant is a native of tropical countries, and furnishes an important article of food.
Banana bird
(Zool.)
,
a small American bird (
Icterus leucopteryx
), which feeds on the banana.
Banana quit
(Zool.)
,
a small bird of tropical America, of the genus
Certhiola
, allied to the creepers.

Webster 1828 Edition


Banana

BAN'ANA

,
Noun.
A species of the genus Musa, or plantain tree, and its fruit. It rises 15 or 20 feet high, with a soft stalk, marked with dark purple stripes and spots,with leaves six feet long, and a foot broad. The flowers grow in bunches, covered with a sheath of a fine purple color.
The fruit is four or five inches long, and an inch or more in diameter; the pulp soft and of a luscious taste. When ripe, it is eaten raw, or fried in slices. Bananas grow in large bunches weighing a dozen pounds or more. This tree is the native of tropical countries, and on many isles, constitutes an important article of food.