banana

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) An elongated curved tropical fruit of a banana plant, which grows in bunches and has a creamy flesh and a smooth skin.
2. (Canada, Ireland, UK, US, countable, uncountable) An elongated curved tropical fruit of a banana plant, which grows in bunches and has a creamy flesh and a smooth skin.
3. (countable, uncountable) The tropical tree-like plant which bears clusters of bananas, a plant of the genus Musa (but sometimes also including plants from Ensete), which has large, elongated leaves.
4. (uncountable) A yellow color, like that of a banana's skin.
5. (countable, derogatory, ethnic, slur, uncountable) A person of East or Southeast Asian descent, considered to be overly assimilated and subservient to white authority.
6. (Malaysia, Singapore, countable, derogatory, ethnic, slur, uncountable) A person of Chinese descent who cannot speak Mandarin or any Chinese dialect
7. (countable, slang, uncountable) The penis.
8. (countable, uncountable) A banana kick.
9. (countable, uncountable) A banana equivalent dose.
10. (colloquial, countable, uncountable) A catamorphism (from the use of banana brackets in the notation).
11. (countable, uncountable) An incorrectly held handstand, often seen in beginners.

Adj

Curved like a banana, especially of a ball in flight.

Synonyms

plantain

banana tree

tropical plant

banana boat

banana fish

bonefish

ripe fruit

Indo-pacific bonefish

ladyfish

bananafish

lady fish

long-finned eel

round jaw

roundjaw bonefish

tenny

naner

Musa

water sled

tarpon

wild

Translations

banane

🍌

Banane

🍌

banana

🍌

banaan

🍌

plátano

🍌

banana

🍌

μπανάνα

banana

🍌

muz

🍌

plàtan

bananier

🍌

banana

🍌

موز

banano

🍌

Pronounced as (IPA)

/bəˈnɑː.nə/

Etymology

Cognate with Wolof: banaana

Cognate with Portuguese: banana

In summary

Borrowed from Portuguese banana or Spanish banana, derived from a Niger-Congo language spoken in the Guinea region. Specific derivation is unclear. Possible ancestor or cognate languages include Wolof banaana, Eastern Maninkakan banana, and Vai ꕒꘌꕯ (ɓaana) or ꕒꕌꕯ (ɓaana), possibly from Arabic بَنَان (banān, “fingertip, banana”). However, Ay Baati Wolof (Munro & Gaye, 1997) posits that Wolof banaana is itself derived from Portuguese banana.
The racial slur derives from the notion that they are “Yellow (East-Asian) on the outside, but White (Westernized) on the inside”.