Plantain /(?)/
Plan·tain
Plantain
n.
- A treelike perennial herb (Musa paradisiaca) of tropical regions, bearing immense leaves and large clusters of the fruits called plantains. See Musa. (Bot.)
- 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.
Phrases & Compounds
- Plantain cutter
- any one of several large African birds of the genus Musophaga, or family Musophagidæ, especially Musophaga violacea. See Turaco. They are allied to the cuckoos.
- Plantain squirrel
- a Java squirrel (Sciurus plantani) which feeds upon plantains.
- Plantain tree
- the treelike herb Musa paradisiaca. See def. 1 (above).
Plantain
n.
- Any plant of the genus Plantago, but especially the Plantago major, a low herb with broad spreading radical leaves, and slender spikes of minute flowers. It is a native of Europe, but now found near the abode of civilized man in nearly all parts of the world. (Bot.)
Phrases & Compounds
- Indian plantain
- See under Indian.
- Mud plantain
- a homely North American aquatic plant (Heteranthera reniformis), having broad, reniform leaves.
- Rattlesnake plantain
- an orchidaceous plant (Goodyera pubescens), with the leaves blotched and spotted with white.
- Ribwort plantain
- See Ribwort.
- Robin's plantain
- the Erigeron bellidifolium, a common daisylike plant of North America.
- Water plantain
- a plant of the genus Alisma, having acrid leaves, and formerly regarded as a specific against hydrophobia.