noun
bonsai
BON-seye
noun
1
A miniature tree grown and shaped in a small pot through careful pruning and root control.
"He spent thirty years training that bonsai into its current shape."
2
The traditional art of cultivating such miniature trees.
"She took a weekend class to learn the basics of bonsai."
How to Use Bonsai
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe Japanese art of growing miniature, carefully shaped trees in pots.
Common pairings
bonsai tree
grow a bonsai
Word Forms
bonsaied past tense, bonsai plural, bonsais plural, bonsais singular
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He spent thirty years training that _____ into its current shape.
Etymology
From Japanese bonsai, combining characters meaning "tray" and "to plant."