banana

 
Pronunciation: /bəˈnɑːnə/

noun

  • 1a long curved fruit which grows in clusters and has soft pulpy flesh and yellow skin when ripe: a bunch of bananas
  • 2 (also banana plant or banana tree) the tropical and subtropical palm-like plant which bears bananas, having very large leaves but lacking a woody trunk.
    • Genus Musa, family Musaceae: several species, in particular M. sapientum

Phrases

go (or be) bananas

informal
become (or be) mad or extremely silly: everyone’s beginning to think I’m bananas
become extremely angry or excited: she went bananas when I said I was going to leave the job

top (or second) banana

informal the most (or second most) important person in an organization: a top banana of the Mafia

Origin:

late 16th century: via Portuguese or Spanish from Mande