cantaloupe

American  

[kan-tl-ohp] / ˈkæn tlˌoʊp /

Or cantaloup

noun

1. a variety of melon, Cucumis melo cantalupensis, of the gourd family, having a hard scaly or warty rind, grown in Europe, Asia, and the United States.

2. a muskmelon having a reticulated rind and pale-orange flesh.

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cantaloupe British  

/ ˈkæntəˌluːp /

noun

1. a cultivated variety of muskmelon, Cucumis melo cantalupensis, with ribbed warty rind and orange flesh

2. any of several other muskmelons

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Usage

What is a cantaloupe? A cantaloupe is an edible member of the gourd family known for its orange, sweet flesh and hard, scaly outer rind. Its scientific name is Cucumis melo cantalupensis and is sold mainly in Europe. A cantaloupe is also a type of muskmelon, with pale orange flesh and a rough, reticulated rind. That is, the rind has veins that look like the threads of a net. Its scientific name is Cucumis melo reticulatus and is sold mainly in the United States. Cucumis melo reticulatus is considered less sweet and more juice filled than Cucumis melo cantalupensis. Example: I made a melon salad with watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew for the pool party.

Etymology

Origin of cantaloupe

First recorded in 1730–40; from French, allegedly after Cantaluppi, a papal estate near Rome where cultivation of this melon is said to have begun in Europe, though a comparable Italian word is not attested until much later than the French word, and Cantaloup, a village in Languedoc, has also been proposed as the source

Compare meaning

How does cantaloupe compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• muskmelon vs. cantaloupe

Explanation

A cantaloupe is a small melon with rough skin and orange flesh. If you are making fruit salad, don't forget the cantaloupe. The jury has long been out on this word's origins, but it's thought to be a place where the melon was cultivated: Cantaluppi in Italy, or Cantaloup in France. Either way, the cantaloupe is a delicious melon with tan rind and orange flesh. Many people enjoy some cantaloupe with breakfast or anytime as a snack. You can eat cantaloupe slices or you can stick a spoon in half a cantaloupe and go to town.

Example Sentences

A farmworker directs Times Staff Writer Brittny Mejia, who joined the crew to harvest watermelons and, the following week, cantaloupe.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2025

I wouldn’t have chosen cantaloupe as the fruit to go to in my morning, but it turns out cantaloupe is pretty darn good.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2025

In the early 1960s, Michoacano cantaloupe farmers acquired lands to expand their production by growing avocados.

From Salon • May 29, 2024

A salmonella outbreak tied to tainted cantaloupe has now killed eight people - three in the U.S. and five in Canada, health officials reported Thursday.

From Washington Times • Dec. 8, 2023

I’d eaten so much cantaloupe that I’d turned into a cantaloupe.

From "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie

Related Words

• melon