banyan

or ban·ian

[ ban-yuhn ]

/ ˈbæn yən /

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noun

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.

Also bania

[ban-yuh], /ˈbæn yə/, baniya

[ban-yuh, -ee-uh] /ˈbæn yə, -i ə/ . (in India)

a Hindu trader or merchant of a particular caste, the rules of which forbid eating flesh.
a loose shirt, jacket, or gown.

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Origin of banyan

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

Words nearby banyan

Bantu, Bantu beer, Bantustan, Banville, banyalla, banyan, Banyana Banyana, banzai, banzai attack, bao, baobab

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use banyan in a sentence

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.
No power, no fans, no AC: The villagers fighting to survive India’s deadly heatwaves|Snigdha Poonam|July 5, 2022|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.
The 20 Best Waterfall Hikes in the United States|syadron|July 29, 2021|Outside Online
A large banyan tree served as a collection center for mail and other deliveries.
Slum dwellers in India get unique digital addresses|Shoma Abhyankar|April 28, 2021|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.
We All Deserve a Spring Break This Year|Megan Michelson|March 18, 2021|Outside Online

Robert Pavlik, chief market strategist at Banyan Partners, disagreed the acquisition was a desperate move.
Facebook’s ‘Desperate’ $19 Billion Gamble on WhatsApp|CNBC|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was aimed down here toward the banyan tree on December 28, 2009.
The Perils of Karachi|Steve Inskeep|October 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The ambulance parked by the banyan tree had a word in red on the side, in English and Urdu: “Edhi.”
The Perils of Karachi|Steve Inskeep|October 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The gamela, like the banyan, easily takes root in other trees, and its branches meet together in the same manner.
Journal of a Voyage to Brazil|Maria Graham
Realizing the danger we were in, I went up a very heavy banyan tree out of Kari's reach and lay among the leaves.
Kari the Elephant|Dhan Gopal Mukerji
"There is a little arbor in the banyan-grove yonder where we can talk undisturbed," she said in a voice of quiet authority.
The Argus Pheasant|John Charles Beecham
The Dyaks, scurrying through the banyan groves and bamboo thickets, enclosed it on the rear and landward sides.
The Argus Pheasant|John Charles Beecham
Kathlyn found herself, all at once, sitting against the roots of an aged banyan tree.
The Adventures of Kathlyn|Harold MacGrath

British Dictionary definitions for banyan

banyan

banian

/ (ˈbænjən) /

noun

a moraceous tree, Ficus benghalensis, of tropical India and the East Indies, having aerial roots that grow down into the soil forming additional trunks

a member of the Hindu merchant caste of N and W India

a loose-fitting shirt, jacket, or robe, worn originally in India

Word Origin for banyan

C16: from Hindi baniyā, from Sanskrit vānija merchant

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012