plantain

n 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 [syn: {plantain

tree}, {Musa paradisiaca}]

3: starchy banana-like fruit; eaten (always cooked) as a staple

vegetable throughout the tropics