musa paradisiaca

Musa paradisiaca
    n 1: a banana tree bearing hanging clusters of edible angular
         greenish starchy fruits; tropics and subtropics [syn:
         {plantain}, {plantain tree}, {Musa paradisiaca}]
    

Plantain \Plan"tain\, n. [Cf. F. plantain-arbre, plantanier, Sp.
   pl['a]ntano, pl['a]tano; prob. same word as plane tree.]
   1. (Bot.) A treelike perennial herb ({Musa paradisiaca}) of
      tropical regions, bearing immense leaves and large
      clusters of the fruits called plantains. See {Musa}.
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   2. The fruit of this plant. It is long and somewhat
      cylindrical, slightly curved, and, when ripe, soft,
      fleshy, and covered with a thick but tender yellowish
      skin. The plantain is a staple article of food in most
      tropical countries, especially when cooked.
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   {Plantain cutter}, or {Plantain eater} (Zool.), any one of
      several large African birds of the genus {Musophaga}, or
      family {Musophagid[ae]}, especially {Musophaga violacea}.
      See {Turaco}. They are allied to the cuckoos.

   {Plantain squirrel} (Zool.), a Java squirrel ({Sciurus
      plantani}) which feeds upon plantains.

   {Plantain tree} (Bot.), the treelike herb {Musa paradisiaca}.
      See def. 1 (above).
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Adam \Ad"am\, n.
   1. The name given in the Bible to the first man, the
      progenitor of the human race.
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   2. (As a symbol) "Original sin;" human frailty.
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            And whipped the offending Adam out of him. --Shak.
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   {Adam's ale}, water. [Coll.]

   {Adam's apple}.

   1. (Bot.)
      (a) A species of banana ({Musa paradisiaca}). It attains a
          height of twenty feet or more. --Paxton.
      (b) A species of lime ({Citris limetta}).

   2. The projection formed by the thyroid cartilage in the
      neck. It is particularly prominent in males, and is so
      called from a notion that it was caused by the forbidden
      fruit (an apple) sticking in the throat of our first
      parent.

   {Adam's flannel} (Bot.), the mullein ({Verbascum thapsus}).
      

   {Adam's needle} (Bot.), the popular name of a genus ({Yucca})
      of liliaceous plants.
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Musa \Mu"sa\, prop. n.; pl. {Musae}. [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 Linnaeus, 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}.
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