This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
banyan
or banĀ·ian
[ ban-yuhn ]
/ ĖbƦn yÉn /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
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], /ĖbƦn yÉ/, baniya [ban-yuh, -ee-uh] /ĖbƦn yÉ, -i É/ . (in India)
- a Hindu trader or merchant of a particular caste, the rules of which forbid eating flesh.
- a loose shirt, jacket, or gown.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I canāt figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Origin of banyan
First recorded in 1590ā1600; from Portuguese (perhaps from Arabic ), from Gujarati vÄį¹iyo (singular) or vÄį¹iyÄ (plural) member of the merchant caste (compare Prakrit vÄį¹iaya, Sanskrit vÄį¹ija 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, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use banyan in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for banyan
banyan
banian
/ (ĖbƦnjÉn) /
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 baniyÄ, from Sanskrit vÄnija merchant
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
Ā© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Ā© HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012