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• pepita
  pepita

  noun

  the edible seed of a pumpkin or squash, used in cooking and often dried or toasted and eaten as a snack food.
• Pepita
  Pepita

  noun

  a female given name.

pepita

¹ American  

[puh-pee-tuh, pe-] / pəˈpi tə, pɛ- /

noun

1. the edible seed of a pumpkin or squash, used in cooking and often dried or toasted and eaten as a snack food.

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Pepita ² American  

[puh-pee-tuh, pe-, pe-pee-tah] / pəˈpi tə, pɛ-, pɛˈpi tɑ /

noun

1. a female given name.

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Etymology

Origin of pepita

From Spanish (southwestern U.S.), Spanish: “seed, pip,” probably derivative of the same Romance base, pep- (unattested), as Old French pepin pippin

Explanation

If you’re following a recipe that calls for pepitas, you'll need pumpkin or squash seeds. Pepitas also make a delicious, nutritious snack on their own. Pepita is borrowed straight from Spanish, where it means "little seed." Interestingly, French has a similar word, pépite, referring to a nugget or small bit of something good, such as a pépite de chocolat, a "chocolate chip." In English, we use the term pepita specifically for the small, green, hull-less seeds found in certain squashes, especially pumpkins.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pepita Pepita

We especially enjoyed the chunky guacamole served with crispy pork belly, the yellowfin tuna tostados served with a pepita salsa matcha, and the butterflied bronzino served with a tomato avocado salsa and house-made tortillas.

From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2026

“This is the perfect make-ahead dessert because both the roasted rhubarb and strawberry mixture and the pepita crunch can be made up to 3 days ahead,” according to Catalano.

From Salon ● May 23, 2025

If you want to crack open the seeds after roasting and just eat the more tender inner pepita, that’s fine too – kind of as you would eat a sunflower seed.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 26, 2023

One morning last week, Clark made the first batch of the new Squish Squash Bon with a squash confection and a pepita gianduja.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 24, 2016

The parish priest of Tabaco, however, almost always carried a pepita in his mouth.

From The Former Philippines thru Foreign Eyes by Austin Craig

Pepita Sandwich is an Argentinian cartoonist, illustrator and author living in New York City.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 17, 2022

Pepita Redhair, a 27-year-old Navajo woman who dreamt of becoming an engineer and loved skateboarding, was last seen in March 2020 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

From Reuters ● Sep. 26, 2021

And part of that has to do with Isabella’s partner in Pepita, Taha Ismail, also the beverage director for all of the top chef’s restaurants.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 1, 2015

Score some wearable art at the beloved vintage clothing boutique Pepita Is Dead.

From New York Times ● Jun. 19, 2014

Then there was Gwendolen, of course, who was coming too, with her aunt and Captain Jeremy; and Lancelot and Mrs Robertson were bringing Pepita; and Percy the gamekeeper's son was bringing Agnes.

From Half-Past Bedtime by H. H. Bashford