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ratoon

noun
ra·​toon | \ ra-ˈtün How to pronounce ratoon (audio) \

Definition of ratoon

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a shoot of a perennial plant (such as sugarcane)
2 : a crop (as of bananas) produced on ratoons

ratoon

verb
ratooned; ratooning; ratoons

Definition of ratoon (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to sprout or spring up from the root

transitive verb

: to grow or produce (a crop) from or on ratoons

Examples of ratoon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

 Giant banana leaves, ratoons of sugar cane and bright orange guavas — set amid a jumble of sheds, trellises, fences and retaining walls — give the hill the look of a rural village carved from jungle. — Joe Mozingo, latimes.com, "One of L.A.'s oldest community gardens thrived for decades. Then the water wars began.," 4 June 2018

First Known Use of ratoon

Noun

1631, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1732, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

History and Etymology for ratoon

Noun

Spanish retoño, from retoñar to sprout, from re- (from Latin) + otoñar to grow in autumn, from otoño autumn, from Latin autumnus

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