plantain

¹ American  

[plan-tin, -tn] / ˈplæn tɪn, -tn /

noun

1. a tropical plant, Musa paradisiaca, of the banana family, resembling the banana.

2. its fruit, eaten cooked as a staple food in tropical regions.

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plantain ² American  

[plan-tin, -tn] / ˈplæn tɪn, -tn /

noun

1. any plant of the genus Plantago, especially P. major, a weed with large, spreading leaves close to the ground and long, slender spikes of small flowers.

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plantain ¹ British  

/ ˈplæntɪn /

noun

1. a large tropical musaceous plant, Musa paradisiaca

2. the green-skinned banana-like fruit of this plant, eaten as a staple food in many tropical regions

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plantain ² British  

/ ˈplæntɪn /

noun

1. any of various N temperate plants of the genus Plantago, esp P. major ( great plantain ), which has a rosette of broad leaves and a slender spike of small greenish flowers: family Plantaginaceae See also ribwort

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Etymology

Origin of plantain¹

1545–55; earlier pla ( n ) tan < Spanish plá ( n ) tano plantain, also plane tree < Medieval Latin pla ( n ) tanus, Latin platanus plane ³

Origin of plantain²

1350–1400; Middle English plauntein < Old French plantein < Latin plantāgin- (stem of plantāgō ), derivative of planta sole of the foot, literally, something flat and spread out, like the broad leaf of the plantain; akin to Greek platýs flat ¹; platy-

Example Sentences

Someone instructs you to tear off pieces and dip them in the accompanying guava and plantain chutneys, silky chickpea curry and punchy pepper jelly, pooled around a peninsula of tangy cultured butter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

The exemptions covered other Ghanaian agricultural products including cashew nuts, avocados, bananas, mangoes, plantain, pineapples, coconuts, ginger and peppers, he said.

From Barron's • Nov. 24, 2025

It was usually served with fried plantain, the spicy black pepper sauce "shito", boiled eggs, and sometimes even spaghetti or fried fish.

From BBC • Mar. 15, 2025

The din of street vendors selling fried plantain or charcoal, groups of bickering children in school uniforms or harried workers running after public vans during rush hour give it a dizzying atmosphere.

From New York Times • Feb. 10, 2024

We sat back, and he took a bite of plantain and blew steam out of his mouth, cackling heartily.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo