[ noun ] type genus of the Musaceae: bananas <noun.plant>
Musa \Mu"sa\, prop. n.; pl. {Mus[ae]}. [NL., fr. Ar. mauz, mauza, banana.] (Bot.) A genus of perennial, herbaceous, endogenous plants of great size, including the banana ({Musa sapientum}), the plantain ({Musa paradisiaca} of Linn[ae]us, 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}.