A long, curved fruit with a yellow skin and soft, sweet inside. It grows in warm climates in hanging clusters on large plants.
The word likely comes from a West African language, possibly Wolof or another language in that region, and entered European languages through Spanish or Portuguese traders. It spread globally along with the fruit itself.
Most bananas you see today are clones of just a few original plants, which makes them very similar genetically. That’s convenient for taste and shipping, but it also makes them vulnerable to diseases that can wipe out entire crops.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.