cucumber tree
noun
any of several American magnolias, especially Magnolia acuminata, having ovate leaves, yellowish-green bell-shaped flowers, and dark red, conelike fruit.
any of certain other trees, as an East Indian tree of the genus Averrhoa.
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Origin of cucumber tree
An Americanism dating back to 1775–85; so called from the resemblance of its fruit to cucumbers
Words nearby cucumber tree
cucullate, cucumber, cucumber beetle, cucumber mosaic, cucumber root, cucumber tree, cucurbit, cucurbitaceous, cucurbit wilt, Cúcuta, cud
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for cucumber tree
To "sell one's lentils well" and to "climb the cucumber-tree" mean to get on in the world and make one's fortune quickly.
King Matthias and the Beggar Boy|Nicholas Jsika
British Dictionary definitions for cucumber tree
cucumber tree
noun
any of several American trees or shrubs of the genus Magnolia, esp M. acuminata, of E and central North America, having cup-shaped greenish flowers and cucumber-shaped fruits
an E Asian tree, Averrhoa bilimbi, with edible fruits resembling small cucumbers: family AverrhoaceaeSee also carambola
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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