Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

banyan day

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.57 in modern English

Syllables: banyan -day
IPA

18

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

In British naval tradition, a day of the week when galley kitchens served no meat on board ship.

British usage; Dated

noun

A picnic or cookout for the ship's crew.

British usage

Example Sentences

"This was a favourable circumstance in one respect to myself and the ship's company, for as Tuesday is a sumptuous day in point of allowance in the navy, beef and pudding being the prescribed fare for dinner, we by this accident feasted two days together; whereas had it occurred on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, two successive banyan (or starvation) days would have been our dismal portion."

Etymology

According to the OED, the term is borrowed from the Banyans in the East Indies, a caste that ate nothing that had life.

Usage

British usage
Dated

Inflected Forms

banyan days (plural) Banian day (alternative)

Phrases

Daily routine on HMS Victory

Frequently Paired Words

Daily routine on HMS Victory

Questions

What does banyan day mean?: In British naval tradition, a day of the week when galley kitchens served no meat on board ship.
Where does banyan day come from?: According to the OED, the term is borrowed from the Banyans in the East Indies, a caste that ate nothing that had life.

How to pronounce banyan day

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “banyan day”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “banyan day”.
Repeat and practice — Say “banyan day” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.