# banana

> English word · Noun · IPA /bəˈnɑː.nə/ · frequency rank #7,096

## Definitions
1. An elongated curved tropical fruit of a banana plant, which grows in bunches and has a creamy flesh and a smooth skin.
2. An elongated curved tropical fruit of a banana plant, which grows in bunches and has a creamy flesh and a smooth skin.
3. The tropical tree-like plant which bears clusters of bananas, a plant of the genus Musa (but sometimes also including plants from Ensete), which has large, elongated leaves.
4. A yellow color, like that of a banana's skin.
5. A person of East or Southeast Asian descent, considered to be overly assimilated and subservient to white authority.
6. A person of Chinese descent who cannot speak Mandarin or any Chinese dialect
7. The penis.
8. A banana kick.
9. A banana equivalent dose.
10. A catamorphism (from the use of banana brackets in the notation).
11. An incorrectly held handstand, often seen in beginners.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Portuguese banana or Spanish banana, derived from a Niger-Congo language spoken in the Guinea region. Specific derivation is unclear. Possible ancestor or cognate languages include Wolof banaana, Eastern Maninkakan banana, and Vai ꕒꘌꕯ (ɓaana) or ꕒꕌꕯ (ɓaana), possibly from Arabic بَنَان (banān, “fingertip, banana”). However, Ay Baati Wolof (Munro & Gaye, 1997) posits that Wolof banaana is itself derived from Portuguese banana.
The racial slur derives from the notion that they are “Yellow (East-Asian) on the outside, but White (Westernized) on the inside”.

## Easily confused with
- **banda** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/banana-vs-banda)
- **Bangla** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/banana-vs-bangla)
- **Baraka** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/banana-vs-baraka)
- **banyan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/banana-vs-banyan)
- **bananas** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/banana-vs-bananas)
- **bonanza** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/banana-vs-bonanza)
- **bandana** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/banana-vs-bandana)
- **banal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/banal-vs-banana)
- **Bahama** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bahama-vs-banana)

## Common misspellings (8)
`abnana`, `baanna`, `banaan`, `bananna`, `bannaa`, `bannana`, `bbanana`, `bnaana`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/banana