plantain

Meaning

Noun

• A plant of the genus Plantago, with a rosette of sessile leaves about 10 cm long with a narrow part instead of a petiole, and with a spike inflorescence with the flower spacing varying widely among the species. See also psyllium.
• A plant in the genus Musa, the genus that includes banana, but with lower sugar content than banana.
• The fruit of the plant, usually cooked before eating and used like potatoes.

Related

Similar words

• waybread
• fleawort

Origin

• From Middle English planteyne, planteyn, from Anglo-Norman plainteine et al., Old French plaintain, from Latin plantāginem ("plantain"), accusative of plantāgō, from planta, a nasalized form of Proto-Indo-European *pleth₂- ("flat; to spread"), because of the broad, flat shape of the plantain leaves.
• From Spanish plantano, obsolete variant of plátano, from Galibi Carib platana.
• Image:Fryingplantains10-28-06b.jpg|thumb|plantain fruit slices frying