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Noun: plantain  'plan,teyn or plan-tin
  1. Any of numerous plants of the genus Plantago; mostly small roadside or dooryard weeds with elliptic leaves and small spikes of very small flowers; seeds of some used medicinally
     
  2. A banana tree bearing hanging clusters of edible angular greenish starchy fruits; tropics and subtropics
    - plantain tree, Musa paradisiaca
     
  3. Starchy banana-like fruit; eaten (always cooked) as a staple vegetable throughout the tropics

Derived forms: plantains

Type of: banana, banana tree, herb, herbaceous plant, veg [Brit, informal], vegetable, veggie [informal]

Part of: genus Plantago, Plantago

Encyclopedia: Plantain