banian day
Definition
Noun (plural: banian days) - A day without meat (nautical): On ships, a "banian day" refers to a day when no meat is served to the crew. Historically, this practice was observed by sailors, often on a weekly or regular basis, to preserve fresh meat supplies during long voyages.
Usage Examples
- (A day without meat on board.)
- (A day without meat, often involving simpler rations.)
Advanced Usage
- "to observe a banian day": to follow the practice of having a meatless day.
- The ship's log noted that they observed a banian day every Wednesday. (They had a regular meatless day each week.)
Variants and Related Words
- Banian (noun): A Hindu merchant or trader; also, a loose-fitting garment. The term "banian day" originates from the Hindu practice of vegetarianism among banians (merchants), which sailors adopted as a term for a meatless day.
- Banian tree (noun): A type of fig tree (Ficus benghalensis) native to India, also spelled "banyan tree." This is not directly related to the nautical term but shares the same root word.
Synonyms
- Meatless day: a day without meat.
- Fast day: a day of abstaining from certain foods, though often for religious reasons.
Related Idioms
- "to go on a banian day": (nautical slang) to have a day without meat.
- The crew went on a banian day after the storm damaged the livestock pen. (They had a meatless day due to loss of animals.)