banyan

or ban·ian

[ ban-yuhn ]

noun

1. Also called banyan tree. an East Indian fig tree, Ficus benghalensis, of the mulberry family, having branches that send out adventitious roots to the ground and sometimes cause the tree to spread over a wide area.
2. Also ban·ia [] ban·iya []. (in India)
   1. a Hindu trader or merchant of a particular caste, the rules of which forbid eating flesh.
   2. a loose shirt, jacket, or gown.

banyan

/ ˈbænjən /

noun

1. a moraceous tree, Ficus benghalensis , of tropical India and the East Indies, having aerial roots that grow down into the soil forming additional trunks
2. a member of the Hindu merchant caste of N and W India
3. a loose-fitting shirt, jacket, or robe, worn originally in India

Word History and Origins

Origin of banyan¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Portuguese (perhaps from Arabic ), from Gujarati vāṇiyo (singular) or vāṇiyā (plural) member of the merchant caste (compare Prakrit vāṇiaya, Sanskrit vāṇija trader); the tree is said to have taken its name from a particular tree of the species near which merchants had built a booth; source of final nasal uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of banyan¹

C16: from Hindi baniyā , from Sanskrit vānija merchant

Example Sentences

The men spend most of their time sitting under a big banyan tree and try to ignore the sharp heat encircling them like a halo.

From MIT Technology Review

Get there via a four-mile round-trip hike on the Pipiwai Trail, passing through a dense bamboo forest, past guava trees, and around a huge banyan tree along the way.

From Outside Online

A large banyan tree served as a collection center for mail and other deliveries.

From MIT Technology Review

Located ten minutes from Lahaina, this spot has mellow surf breaks, some of the world’s largest banyan trees, and guided sea kayaking outings through a protected reef.

From Outside Online

Robert Pavlik, chief market strategist at Banyan Partners, disagreed the acquisition was a desperate move.

From The Daily Beast

It was aimed down here toward the banyan tree on December 28, 2009.

From The Daily Beast

The ambulance parked by the banyan tree had a word in red on the side, in English and Urdu: “Edhi.”

From The Daily Beast

The gamela, like the banyan, easily takes root in other trees, and its branches meet together in the same manner.

From Project Gutenberg

Realizing the danger we were in, I went up a very heavy banyan tree out of Kari's reach and lay among the leaves.

From Project Gutenberg

"There is a little arbor in the banyan-grove yonder where we can talk undisturbed," she said in a voice of quiet authority.

From Project Gutenberg

The Dyaks, scurrying through the banyan groves and bamboo thickets, enclosed it on the rear and landward sides.

From Project Gutenberg

Kathlyn found herself, all at once, sitting against the roots of an aged banyan tree.

From Project Gutenberg