Ban, v. i. To curse; to swear. [Obs.] Spenser.
Ban, n. [Serv. ban; cf. Russ. & Pol. pan a master, lord, Per. ban.] An ancient title of the warden of the eastern marches of Hungary; now, a title of the viceroy of Croatia and Slavonia.
Ban"al (&?;), a. [F., fr. ban an ordinance.] Commonplace; trivial; hackneyed; trite.
Ba*nal"i*ty (&?;), n.; pl. Banalities (&?;). [F. banalité. See Banal.] Something commonplace, hackneyed, or trivial; the commonplace, in speech.
The highest things were thus brought down to the banalities of discourse.
J. Morley.
Ba*na"na (b*nä"n; 277), n. [Sp. banana, name of the fruit.] (Bot.) A perennial herbaceous plant of almost treelike size (Musa sapientum); also, its edible fruit. See Musa.
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 (Zoöl.), a small American bird (Icterus leucopteryx), which feeds on the banana. -- Banana quit (Zoöl.), a small bird of tropical America, of the genus Certhiola, allied to the creepers.
Ban"at (&?;), n. [Cf. F. & G. banat. See Ban a warden.] The territory governed by a ban.
{ Banc (&?;), ||Ban"cus (&?;), Bank (&?;), } n. [OF. banc, LL. bancus. See Bank, n.] A bench; a high seat, or seat of distinction or judgment; a tribunal or court.
In banc, In banco (the ablative of bancus), In bank, in full court, or with full judicial authority; as, sittings in banc (distinguished from sittings at nisi prius).
||Ban"co (&?;), n. [It. See Bank.] A bank, especially that of Venice.
This term is used in some parts of Europe to indicate bank money, as distinguished from the current money, when this last has become depreciated.
Band (bnd), n. [OE. band, bond, Icel. band; akin to G., Sw., & D. band, OHG. bant, Goth. bandi, Skr. bandha a binding, bandh to bind, for bhanda, bhandh, also to E. bend, bind. In sense 7, at least, it is fr. F. bande, from OHG. bant. √90. See Bind, v. t., and cf. Bend, Bond, 1st Bandy.] 1. A fillet, strap, or any narrow ligament with which a thing is encircled, or fastened, or by which a number of things are tied, bound together, or confined; a fetter.
Every one's bands were loosed.
Acts xvi. 26.
2. (Arch.) (a) A continuous tablet, stripe, or series of ornaments, as of carved foliage, of color, or of brickwork, etc. (b) In Gothic architecture, the molding, or suite of moldings, which encircles the pillars and small shafts.
3. That which serves as the means of union or connection between persons; a tie. "To join in Hymen's bands." Shak.