pumpkin
Americannoun
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a large, edible, orange-yellow fruit borne by a coarse, decumbent vine, Cucurbita pepo, of the gourd family.
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the similar fruit of any of several related species, as C. maxima or C. moschata.
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a plant bearing such fruit.
noun
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any of several creeping cucurbitaceous plants of the genus Cucurbita, esp C. pepo of North America and C. maxima of Europe
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the large round fruit of any of these plants, which has a thick orange rind, pulpy flesh, and numerous seeds
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( as modifier )
pumpkin pie
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(often capital) a term of endearment
Etymology
Origin of pumpkin
1640–50; alteration of pumpion ( -kin ), variant of pompon < Middle French, nasalized variant of popon melon, earlier pepon < Latin pepōn- (stem of pepō ) < Greek pépōn kind of melon
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To me, it looked as if you could have thrown a pumpkin straight down his throat and never scratched the peeling on one of his long teeth.
From Literature
Gran told me a story of turning mice into horses and a pumpkin into a golden coach.
From Literature
We fold pumpkin into pie and call it tradition.
From Salon
Now, the bartenders stamp beers with images of the Park Avenue building or seasonal icons like a pumpkin.
He knows people may balk at $16 bottles of pumpkin milk.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
