banyan, banian
(noun) a loose fitting jacket; originally worn in India
banyan, banyan tree, banian, banian tree, Indian banyan, East Indian fig tree, Ficus bengalensis
(noun) East Indian tree that puts out aerial shoots that grow down into the soil forming additional trunks
Source: WordNet® 3.1
banian (plural banians)
Alternative spelling of banyan
Source: Wiktionary
Ban"ian, n. Etym: [Skr. banij merchant. The tree was so named by the English, because used as a market place by the merchants.]
1. A Hindoo trader, merchant, cashier, or money changer. [Written also banyan.]
2. A man's loose gown, like that worn by the Banians.
3. (Bot.)
Definition: The Indian fig. See Banyan. Banian days (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.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
28 March 2025
(noun) a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
The first coffee-house in Mecca dates back to the 1510s. The beverage was in Turkey by the 1530s. It appeared in Europe circa 1515-1519 and was introduced to England by 1650. By 1675 the country had more than 3,000 coffee houses, and coffee had replaced beer as a breakfast drink.
