banyan
banyan Lexical Profile
banyan Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An immense fig tree native to the Indian subcontinent that produces extensive aerial roots that grow downwards and thicken into supportive secondary trunks.
"The villagers gathered for the meeting under the sprawling canopy of the ancient banyan."
Indian A lightweight undershirt or vest typically worn by men in the Indian subcontinent.
"He wiped the sweat from his brow, wearing only his banyan and a pair of loose cotton trousers in the summer heat."
Indian A Hindu merchant, trader, or financier, especially one originally from the western Indian state of Gujarat.
"In historical colonial accounts, the banyan acted as a crucial middleman between European trading companies and local markets."
• Rhymes for banyan
Word Origin & Etymology
From Portuguese 'baniano', via Arabic 'banyān' and Gujarati 'vāṇiyo', meaning 'merchant'. The tree acquired this name in the 1590s because European travelers observed Hindu merchants routinely conducting business under its extensive shade.