banyan

[ban-yuh n] /ˈbæn yən/
noun
1.
Also called banyan tree. an East Indian fig tree, Ficus benghalensis, of the mulberry family, having branches that send out adventitious roots to the ground and sometimes cause the tree to spread over a wide area.
2.
Also, bania, baniya.
  1. a Hindu trader or merchant of a particular caste, the rules of which forbid eating flesh.
  2. a loose shirt, jacket, or gown.
Also, banian.
Origin
1590-1600; < Portuguese (perhaps < Arabic) < Gujarati vāṇiyo (singular) or vāṇiyā (plural) member of the merchant caste (compare Prakrit vāṇiaya, Sanskrit vāṇija trader); the tree is said to have taken its name from a particular tree of the species near which merchants had built a booth; source of final nasal uncertain
Examples from the web for banyan
  • Other indigenous trees include the breadfruit, eucalyptus, and banyan.
  • The hotel maintains its tradition of afternoon tea and sunset dinners under a canopy of banyan trees overlooking the beach.
  • Outside, lush green gardens and enormous banyan trees full of mynah birds abound.
  • Each beach offers a scenic view with tide pools, banyan trees, lava rocks and waterfalls.
  • Remove the banyan trees perched on the faux rock water feature.
  • If you know someone who has a banyan on their land, talk to them about its importance for wildlife.
British Dictionary definitions for banyan

banyan

/ˈbænjən/
noun
1.
a moraceous tree, Ficus benghalensis, of tropical India and the East Indies, having aerial roots that grow down into the soil forming additional trunks
2.
a member of the Hindu merchant caste of N and W India
3.
a loose-fitting shirt, jacket, or robe, worn originally in India
Word Origin
C16: from Hindi baniyā, from Sanskrit vānija merchant
Word Origin and History for banyan
n.

"Indian fig tree," 1630s, so called in reference to a tree on the Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf under which the Hindu merchants known as banians had built a pagoda. From Sanskrit vanija "merchant."

banyan in Technology

company
A personal computer networking company, best known for its "Vines" products for local area networks.
Address: Westborough MA, USA.
[More info?]
(1995-03-01)