bonsai
[ bon-sahy, -zahy, bohn-, bon-sahy, -zahy, bohn- ]
/ bɒnˈsaɪ, -ˈzaɪ, boʊn-, ˈbɒn saɪ, -zaɪ, ˈboʊn- /
noun, plural bon·sai.
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.
the art or hobby of developing and growing such a plant or plants.
Origin of bonsai
1945–50; < Japanese
bon-sai tray planting < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese
pén tray +
zāi plant, shoot
WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bonsai
banzai bonsaiWords nearby bonsai
Example sentences from the Web for bonsai
Ways of Going Home was a bit longer than Bonsai and The Private Lives of Trees but not by much.
I read somewhere that at first you did not understand how Bonsai could be made into a film.
British Dictionary definitions for bonsai
bonsai
/ (ˈbɒnsaɪ) /
noun plural -sai
the art of growing dwarfed ornamental varieties of trees or shrubs in small shallow pots or trays by selective pruning, etc
a tree or shrub grown by this method
Word Origin for bonsai
C20: Japanese: plant grown in a pot, from
bon basin, bowl +
sai to plant