a dwarfed ornamental tree or shrub grown in a tray or shallow pot
"The old gardener carefully pruned his bonsai to keep its roots confined within the small ceramic tray."
A tree or plant that has been miniaturized by planting it in a small pot, restricting its roots, and by careful pruning.
"My grandfather spent decades nurturing his ancient bonsai until the gnarled branches perfectly mirrored the shape of an oak forest."
To make into a bonsai by restricting the roots and pruning.
"The old gardener spent decades carefully trimming branches and coiling roots to transform a wild seedling into a perfect bonsai."
Misspelling of banzai.
"The teacher corrected the student's essay, pointing out that the word "bonsai" was a common misspelling for the Japanese shout "banzai.""