bonsai

American  

[bahn-zahy, bahn-zahy, bohn-, -sahy] / ˈbɑn zaɪ, bɑnˈzaɪ, boʊn-, -saɪ /

noun

plural

bonsai

1. a tree or shrub that has been dwarfed, as by pruning the roots and pinching, and is grown in a pot or other container and trained to produce a desired shape or effect.

2. the art or hobby of developing and growing such a plant or plants.

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bonsai British  

/ ˈbɒnsaɪ /

noun

1. the art of growing dwarfed ornamental varieties of trees or shrubs in small shallow pots or trays by selective pruning, etc

2. a tree or shrub grown by this method

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Etymology

Origin of bonsai

1945–50; < Japanese bon-sai tray planting < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese pén tray + zāi plant, shoot

Example Sentences

His dream, he said, is to create a "large national bonsai collection", something he had already begun laying the groundwork for.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

“A well-established bonsai that is hundreds of years old can die within days if not properly cared for,” she wrote in an email.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 11, 2024

There's some bonsai and a lot of bowing.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2024

Instead, she watches the adults cope through distinct expressions of love, baking an elaborate cake or nursing a bonsai tree.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2024

To examine the individual particles composing the rings of Saturn we must approach them closely, for the particles are small—snowballs and ice chips and tiny tumbling bonsai glaciers, a meter or so across.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan