plantain
Plantain (noun) means a starchy, banana-like fruit that is usually cooked before eating, similar to a potato in culinary use. Example: “Fried plantain is a common side dish across West Africa and the Caribbean.”
How to use plantain
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a cooking banana eaten savory, or an unrelated flat-leaved roadside weed.
The starchy fruit and the weed are two completely different plants that just share a name in English — don't confuse them.
Word forms
plantains plural, plantains plural
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Fried _____ is a common side dish across West Africa and the Caribbean.
Etymology
From Latin plantago, related to planta, "sole of the foot," because of the plant's broad, flat leaves. The banana-like fruit is a separate, unrelated plant that happens to share the English name via Spanish.
Synonyms
View more →Rhymes for plantain
See all rhymes for plantain →Frequently asked questions
What does “plantain” mean?
The word “plantain” means a starchy, banana-like fruit that is usually cooked before eating, similar to a potato in culinary use. In plain terms, either a cooking banana eaten savory, or an unrelated flat-leaved roadside weed.
How do you pronounce “plantain”?
“Plantain” is pronounced PLAN-tihn (/ˈplæn.tɪn/ in IPA).
How do you use “plantain” in a sentence?
Here is “plantain” used in a sentence: “Fried plantain is a common side dish across West Africa and the Caribbean.”
What part of speech is “plantain”?
“Plantain” is a noun.
Where does the word “plantain” come from?
The word “plantain” comes from Latin. From Latin plantago, related to planta, "sole of the foot," because of the plant's broad, flat leaves. The banana-like fruit is a separate, unrelated plant that happens to share the English name via Spanish.
How many meanings does “plantain” have?
“Plantain” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a starchy, banana-like fruit that is usually cooked before eating, similar to a potato in culinary use.