pipal

American  

[pahy-puhl, pee-] / ˈpaɪ pəl, ˈpi- /

noun

1. a fig tree, Ficus religiosa, of India, somewhat resembling the banyan.

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pipal British  

/ ˈpaɪpəl /

noun

1. a variant of peepul

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Etymology

Origin of pipal

1780–90; < Hindi pīpal < Sanskrit pippala

Example Sentences

He famously achieved enlightenment—his insights about the cause of suffering and the way to end it—while meditating under a pipal tree.

From The New Yorker • Jun. 29, 2015

Again, the mysterious rustle of the bo tree, pipal may be the reason for its especial veneration; as its seeming immortality is certainly the cause of the reverence given to the banian.

From The Religions of India Handbooks on the History of Religions, Volume 1, Edited by Morris Jastrow by Hopkins, Edward Washburn

A pipal tree flourished aloft above its dome, its roots buried in the concrete and clinging to the walls; while festoons of wild convolvulus hung in profusion from the lower branches.

From Banked Fires by Savi, E. W. (Ethel Winifred)

An old man came running up the road, between its walls of pipal trees, beating his mouth with the palm of his hand in a staccato lament.

From The Three Sapphires by Fraser, W. A.

The pipal trees, which are covered with tender young leaves, now offer to the birds a feast in the form of numbers of figs, no larger than cranberries.

From A Bird Calendar for Northern India by Dewar, Douglas