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• gherkin
  gherkin

  noun

  the small, immature fruit of a variety of cucumber, used in pickling.
• Gherkin
  Gherkin

  noun

  an informal name for Swiss Re Tower

gherkin

American  

[gur-kin] / ˈgɜr kɪn /

noun

• gherkins
  plural

1. the small, immature fruit of a variety of cucumber, used in pickling.

2. Also called bur gherkin, gooseberry gourd, West Indian gherkin. the small, spiny fruit of a tropical vine, Cucumis anguria, of the gourd family, used in pickling.

3. the plant yielding this fruit.

4. a small pickle, especially one made from this fruit.

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gherkin ¹ British  

/ ˈɡɜːkɪn /

noun

1. the immature fruit of any of various cucumbers, used for pickling

2. 1. a tropical American cucurbitaceous climbing plant, Cucumis anguria

   2. the small edible fruit of this plant

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Gherkin ² British  

/ ˈɡɜːkɪn /

noun

1. an informal name for Swiss Re Tower

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• gherkins
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of gherkin

1655–65; < Dutch gurken, plural of gurk ( German Gurke ) < Slavic; compare Polish ogórek, Czech okurka ≪ Persian

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gherkin Gherkin gherkins

The gherkins “symbolized for me the last thing you have in your cupboards when you run out of everything. It starts from the last gherkin jar, and from there it all goes south.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2025

On the box, the burgers - made from fava bean and pea protein - are described as "succulent and tangy" and "with an American style mustard and gherkin melt".

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2024

As I bit into the taut casing of the sausage, chunks of onion and gherkin fell here and there.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 21, 2022

The burger came in a tiny brioche bun, with a gherkin topping and sweet maple-mustard sauce.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 5, 2017

"Not much of a yarn certainly," replied the stranger, holding his bottle up to the light while he speared a gherkin with his knife.

From Such Is Life by Joseph Furphy

Dimon was personally involved in the design of Morgan’s, where he toasted the building’s opening last year with lead architect Norman Foster, the man behind London’s Gherkin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 18, 2026

One person who had already seen the first episode of the four-part series told him "it's so good not to see the Gherkin again", Barry added.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2025

Diagrids have been used in other tall buildings, including the 46-story Hearst Tower in New York City, the iconic 40-story ovular Gherkin skyscraper in London and a section of the egg-shaped London City Hall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2023

The zoo announced last week that Mr. Pickles and Mrs. Pickles welcomed three tortoise hatchlings: Dill, Gherkin and Jalapeño.

From New York Times ● Mar. 22, 2023

This beats Swift's etymology of "cucumber," which he once gave at a dinner of the Philological Society: "King Jeremiah, Jeremiah King, Jerkin, Gherkin, Cucumber."

From John Bull, Junior or French as She is Traduced by Max O'Rell

Dmyterko lines up jars of gherkins and tomatoes.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

Funny and touching, an Easter egg-loaded cross between Ray Harryhausen and Charlie Kaufman, it manages to generate concern for their plight, their Shakespearean recitations and their gherkins.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2025

Kherson remains without electricity, running water or heating, but residents found some relief in being able to purchase Ukrainian pickled gherkins, dumplings, horseradish and other favourites.

From Reuters ● Nov. 20, 2022

The filling, it should be noted, also contains finely-chopped bacon and sweet pickle relish, and the whole thing is topped with thin slices of pickled jalapeño peppers and/or gherkins.

From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2021

To the south, the flowers give way to a patch of raveled gherkins.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

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