plantain

1
[ plan-tin, -tn ]
/ ˈplæn tɪn, -tn /

noun

a tropical plant, Musa paradisiaca, of the banana family, resembling the banana.
its fruit, eaten cooked as a staple food in tropical regions.

Origin of plantain

1
1545–55; earlier pla(n)tan < Spanish plá(n)tano plantain, also plane tree < Medieval Latin pla(n)tanus, Latin platanus plane3

Words nearby plantain

plant-cutter, planta, planta genista, plantae, plantagenet, plantain, plantain lily, plantain-eater, plantalgia, plantar, plantar arch

Definition for plantain (2 of 2)

plantain 2
[ plan-tin, -tn ]
/ ˈplæn tɪn, -tn /

noun

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.

Origin of plantain

2
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 flat1; see platy-

Example sentences from the Web for plantain

British Dictionary definitions for plantain (1 of 2)

plantain 1
/ (ˈplæntɪn) /

noun

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

Word Origin for plantain

C14 plauntein, from Old French plantein, from Latin plantāgō, from planta sole of the foot

British Dictionary definitions for plantain (2 of 2)

plantain 2
/ (ˈplæntɪn) /

noun

a large tropical musaceous plant, Musa paradisiaca
the green-skinned banana-like fruit of this plant, eaten as a staple food in many tropical regions

Word Origin for plantain

C16: from Spanish platano plantain, plane tree