banyan
Americannoun
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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.
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Also bania baniya (in India)
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a Hindu trader or merchant of a particular caste, the rules of which forbid eating flesh.
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a loose shirt, jacket, or gown.
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noun
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a moraceous tree, Ficus benghalensis , of tropical India and the East Indies, having aerial roots that grow down into the soil forming additional trunks
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a member of the Hindu merchant caste of N and W India
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a loose-fitting shirt, jacket, or robe, worn originally in India
Etymology
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The opposite view was expressed by Xin Wu, founder of Banyan Partners, an investment-management firm specializing in China-related equities.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 14, 2026
Banyan Ridge has a more traditional Miami aesthetic, described in its original listing as a “gated sanctuary” that features eight “unique residences and structures” that are all connected by winding paths through the tropical grounds.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 14, 2026
More than a month after a wind-fueled inferno torched Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui, the town’s signature 150-year-old Banyan tree is sprouting leaves, proving its vitality.
From Washington Times • Sep. 20, 2023
“There is nothing that has made me cry more today than the thought of the Banyan Tree in my hometown of Lahaina,” wrote a poster identifying herself as HawaiiDelilah on X, formerly known as Twitter.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 10, 2023
“You are a sensible young man, Somers,” replied De Banyan, slightly relaxing the rigid muscles of his face.
From The Young Lieutenant or, The Adventures of an Army Officer by Optic, Oliver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
