Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Ban \Ban\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Banned} (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Banning}.] [OE. bannen, bannien, to summon, curse, AS.
   bannan to summon; akin to Dan. bande, forbande, to curse, Sw.
   banna to revile, bannas to curse. See {Ban} an edict, and cf.
   {Banish}.]
   1. To curse; to invoke evil upon. --Sir W. Scott.

   2. To forbid; to interdict. --Byron.

Ban \Ban\ (b[a^]n), n. [AS. bann command, edict; akin to D. ban,
   Icel. bann, Dan. band, OHG. ban, G. bann, a public
   proclamation, as of interdiction or excommunication, Gr.
   fa`nai to say, L. fari to speak, Skr. bhan to speak; cf. F.
   ban, LL. bannum, of G. origin. [root]86. Cf. {Abandon},
   {Fame}.]
   1. A public proclamation or edict; a public order or notice,
      mandatory or prohibitory; a summons by public
      proclamation.

   2. (Feudal & Mil.) A calling together of the king's (esp. the
      French king's) vassals for military service; also, the
      body of vassals thus assembled or summoned. In present
      usage, in France and Prussia, the most effective part of
      the population liable to military duty and not in the
      standing army.

   3. pl. Notice of a proposed marriage, proclaimed in church.
      See {Banns} (the common spelling in this sense).

   4. An interdiction, prohibition, or proscription. ``Under ban
      to touch.'' --Milton.

   5. A curse or anathema. ``Hecate's ban.'' --Shak.

   6. A pecuniary mulct or penalty laid upon a delinquent for
      offending against a ban; as, a mulct paid to a bishop by
      one guilty of sacrilege or other crimes.

   {Ban of the empire} (German Hist.), an imperial interdict by
      which political rights and privileges, as those of a
      prince, city, or district, were taken away.

Ban \Ban\, n. [Serv. ban; cf. Russ. & Pol. pan a master? lord,
   Per. ban.]
   An ancient title of the warden of the eastern marches of
   Hungary; now, a title of the viceroy of Croatia and Slavonia.

Ban \Ban\, v. i.
   To curse; to swear. [Obs.] --Spenser.

Source : WordNet®

ban
     n 1: a decree that prohibits something [syn: {prohibition}, {proscription}]
     2: 100 bani equal 1 leu
     3: 100 bani equal 1 leu
     4: an official prohibition or edict against something [syn: {banning},
         {forbiddance}, {forbidding}]
     5: a bachelor's degree in nursing [syn: {Bachelor of Arts in
        Nursing}]
     [also: {banning}, {banned}, {bani} (pl)]

ban
     v 1: prohibit especially by legal means or social pressure;
          "Smoking is banned in this building"
     2: forbid the public distribution of ( a movie or a newspaper)
        [syn: {censor}]
     3: ban from a place of residence, as for punishment [syn: {banish}]
     4: expel from a community or group [syn: {banish}, {ostracize},
         {ostracise}, {shun}, {cast out}, {blackball}]
     [also: {banning}, {banned}, {bani} (pl)]