Mu·sa prop. n.; pl. Musae   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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 Ba·na·na n.  Bot. A perennial herbaceous plant of almost treelike size (Musa sapientum); also, its edible fruit. See Musa.
 Note: ☞ The banana has a soft, herbaceous stalk, with leaves of great length and breadth. The flowers grow in bunches, covered with a sheath of a green or purple color; the fruit is five or six inches long, and over an inch in diameter; the pulp is soft, and of a luscious taste, and is eaten either raw or cooked. This plant is a native of tropical countries, and furnishes an important article of food.
 Banana bird Zool., a small American bird (Icterus leucopteryx), which feeds on the banana.
 Banana quit Zool., a small bird of tropical America, of the genus Certhiola, allied to the creepers.
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