plantain

Everyday

1. A fruit like a big banana that is usually cooked before eating, often fried, boiled or baked; popular in Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. tree →
2. A common wild plant (weed) with flat leaves close to the ground and thin spikes of tiny flowers; it grows on lawns and paths. tree →

In the lessons

In food lessons about the Caribbean and West Africa, fried plantain is a favourite side dish. In nature lessons in the UK and Ireland, plantain is a weed on school fields; ribwort plantain stems can be used for a «soldiers» conker-like game. Phrases: «fried plantain», «ripe plantain», «green plantain», «ribwort plantain».

Examples

• Fried plantain is sweet and soft when it is ripe. tree →
• Plantains look like bananas but are usually cooked. tree →
• My Nigerian friend's mum makes plantain with rice. tree →
• Green plantain is hard and starchy. tree →
• There is plantain growing all over our lawn. tree →
• We played a game knocking the heads off ribwort plantain. tree →

Note

Countable. Pronounced PLAN-tin or plan-TAYN. Two very different meanings: a cooking banana and a weed. Trap: do not eat wild plants unless an adult knows they are safe.