pumpkin

American  

[puhmp-kin, puhng-kin] / ˈpʌmp kɪn, ˈpʌŋ kɪn /

noun

1. a large, edible, orange-yellow fruit borne by a coarse, decumbent vine, Cucurbita pepo, of the gourd family.

2. the similar fruit of any of several related species, as C. maxima or C. moschata.

3. a plant bearing such fruit.

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pumpkin British  

/ ˈpʌmpkɪn /

noun

1. any of several creeping cucurbitaceous plants of the genus Cucurbita, esp C. pepo of North America and C. maxima of Europe

2. 1. the large round fruit of any of these plants, which has a thick orange rind, pulpy flesh, and numerous seeds

   2. ( as modifier )

      pumpkin pie

3. (often capital) a term of endearment

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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

My family always took a long car ride and looked for pumpkins up in the country.

From Literature

Dessert revives malt bread as French toast alongside sea buckthorn and pumpkin held through autumn and sharpened into sorbet.

From Salon

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

Related Words

• fruit
• squash