ratoon
1 of 2noun
ra·toon ra-ˈtün 
1
: a shoot of a perennial plant (such as sugarcane)
2
: a crop (as of bananas) produced on ratoons
ratoon
2 of 2verb
ratooned; ratooning; ratoons
intransitive verb
: to sprout or spring up from the root
transitive verb
: to grow or produce (a crop) from or on ratoons
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Joe Mozingo, latimes.com, 4 June 2018
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, 4 June 2018 Word History
Etymology
Noun
Spanish retoño, from retoñar to sprout, from re- (from Latin) + otoñar to grow in autumn, from otoño autumn, from Latin autumnus
First Known Use
Noun
1631, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1732, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense