Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A Hindu trader or merchant, especially of the province of Guzerat; one engaged in commerce generally, but more particularly one of the great traders of western India, as in the seaports of Bombay, Kurrachee, etc., who carry on a large trade with the interior of Asia by means of caravans, and with Africa by vessels.
- noun In British India, originally, a cotton shirt worn by the Hindus. Hence— Any undergarment, even of the elastic web made in England.
- noun Any loose or easy dress worn in the house, especially one modeled on the native dress of the Hindus.
- noun An East Indian fig-tree, Ficus Bengalensis, natural order Urticaceæ, remarkable for the area which individual trees cover through the development of roots from the branches, which descend to the ground and become trunks for the support and nourishment of the extending crown.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A Hindu trader, merchant, cashier, or money changer.
- noun A man's loose gown, like that worn by the Banians.
- noun (Bot.) The Indian fig. See
Banyan . - noun (Naut.) days in which the sailors have no flesh meat served out to them. This use seems to be borrowed from the Banians or Banya race, who eat no flesh.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun An Indian
trader ,merchant ,cashier , ormoney changer . - noun A type of loose
gown worn in India. - noun A
banyan (tree).
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a loose fitting jacket; originally worn in India
- noun East Indian tree that puts out aerial shoots that grow down into the soil forming additional trunks
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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In Gayasira is a banian, which is called by the Brahmanas the _Eternal_ banian, for the food that is offered there to the Pitris becometh eternal, O exalted one!
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose Vana Parva, Part 1 Kisari Mohan [Translator] Ganguli
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In Gayasira is a banian, which is called by the Brahmanas the Eternal banian, for the food that is offered there to the Pitris becometh eternal, O exalted one!
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 1 Books 1, 2 and 3 Kisari Mohan [Translator] Ganguli
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I found him in his night-cap and banian, which is his ordinary dress in that retired part of the country.
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Englishman, properly speaking, acts by himself, that he must be made responsible for that person called his banian, -- for the power he either uses under him, or the power he has acquired over him.
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 09 (of 12) Edmund Burke 1763
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From that moment forward it is not the Englishman, it is the black banian, that is the master.
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 09 (of 12) Edmund Burke 1763
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He had made the walls of his compound, or court-yard, of branches of the banian, which, taking root, had grown to be a live hedge of that tree.
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Both islands and banks are covered with forest, and most of the trees on the brink of the water send down roots from their branches like the banian, or ‘Ficus Indica’.
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At this village there is a real Indian banian-tree, which has spread itself over a considerable space by means of roots from its branches; it has been termed, in consequence, “the tree with legs” (more oa maotu).
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As we went north the country became very lovely; many new trees appeared; the grass was green, and often higher than the wagons; the vines festooned the trees, among which appeared the real banian
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The Ficus Indica tree, under which we now sat, had very large leaves, but showed its relationship to the Indian banian by sending down shoots toward the ground.
chained_bear commented on the word banian
See also banian-day and banyan.
March 3, 2008