bonsai
Americannoun
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bonsai
plural
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a tree or shrub that has been dwarfed, as by pruning the roots and pinching, and is grown in a pot or other container and trained to produce a desired shape or effect.
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the art or hobby of developing and growing such a plant or plants.
noun
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the art of growing dwarfed ornamental varieties of trees or shrubs in small shallow pots or trays by selective pruning, etc
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a tree or shrub grown by this method
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of bonsai
1945–50; < Japanese bon-sai tray planting < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese pén tray + zāi plant, shoot
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.
These include personal preoccupations like bonsai trees and golden retrievers, celebrities such as pop star Olivia Rodrigo and mega events like Formula One and the World Cup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
His dream, he said, is to create a "large national bonsai collection", something he had already begun laying the groundwork for.
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
She suggested having one plan in place for a caretaker if the bonsai owner falls ill and another for bequeathing the tree.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 11, 2024
There's some bonsai and a lot of bowing.
From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2024
“A bonsai master. You know, bonsai are little trees.”
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
