banyan: Meaning and Definition of

ban•yan

1. Also calledan East Indian fig tree, Ficus benghalensis, of the mulberry family, having branches that send out adventitious roots to the ground and sometimes cause the tree to spread over a wide area.
2. (in India)
1. a Hindu trader or merchant of a particular caste, the rules of which forbid eating flesh.
2. a loose shirt, jacket, or gown.