The Collaborative International Dictionary
Musa \Mu"sa\, prop. n.; pl. Mus[ae]. [NL., fr. Ar. mauz, mauza, banana.] (Bot.) A genus of perennial, herbaceous, endogenous plants of great size, including the banana ( Musa sapientum), the plantain ( Musa paradisiaca of Linn[ae]us, but probably not a distinct species), the Abyssinian ( Musa Ensete), the Philippine Island ( Musa textilis, which yields Manila hemp), and about eighteen other species. See Illust. of Banana and Plantain.
Banana \Ba*na"na\ (b[.a]*n[aum]"n[.a]; 277), n. [Sp. banana, name of the fruit.] (Bot.) A perennial herbaceous plant of almost treelike size ( Musa sapientum); also, its edible fruit. See Musa.
Note: The banana has a soft, herbaceous stalk, with leaves of great length and breadth. The flowers grow in bunches, covered with a sheath of a green or purple color; the fruit is five or six inches long, and over an inch in diameter; the pulp is soft, and of a luscious taste, and is eaten either raw or cooked. This plant is a native of tropical countries, and furnishes an important article of food.
Banana bird (Zo["o]l.), a small American bird ( Icterus leucopteryx), which feeds on the banana.
Banana quit (Zo["o]l.), a small bird of tropical America, of the genus Certhiola, allied to the creepers.