gourd

[gawrd, gohrd, goo rd]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gourd ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the hard-shelled fruit of any of various plants, especially those of Lagenaria siceraria (white-flowered gourd or bottle gourd), whose dried shell is used for bowls and other utensils, and Cucurbita pepo (yellow-flowered gourd), used ornamentally.Compare gourd family.

a plant bearing such a fruit.

a dried and excavated gourd shell used as a bottle, dipper, flask, etc.

a gourd-shaped, small-necked bottle or flask.

Idioms

out of/off one's gourd, Slang. out of one's mind; crazy.

Origin of gourd

1275–1325; Middle English gourd(e), courde < Anglo-French (Old French cöorde) < Latin cucurbita

Related formsgourd·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for gourd

cantaloupe, papaya, watermelon, fruit, squash, beaker, jug, vial, urn, chalice, decanter, canteen, carafe, musk, casaba, honeydew, nutmeg, vine, crock

Examples from the Web for gourd

Contemporary Examples of gourd

Teammates would get calls from Ellis out of his gourd at 3:30 a.m. on nights before games.
‘No No,’ a Documentary on MLB Pitcher Dock Ellis, Who Pitched a No-Hitter While Tripping on Acid
Marlow Stern
February 5, 2014

Historical Examples of gourd

With her head bent forward, she stared at some petals that had fallen from the gourd.
Sacrifice
Stephen French Whitman
"I went all the way," answered Allan, lifting the gourd of well-water to his lips.
The Long Roll
Mary Johnston
"Dip her deep, son," he would say as he emptied the gourd and sent the boy for more.
Watch Yourself Go By
Al. G. Field
Here's a gourd, there's a yeast powder can, and there's a tin cup.
Shadows of Shasta
Joaquin Miller
He provided himself also with a pilgrim's staff and a gourd to drink from.
The Autobiography of St. Ignatius
Saint Ignatius Loyola

British Dictionary definitions for gourd

gourd

noun

the fruit of any of various cucurbitaceous or similar plants, esp the bottle gourd and some squashes, whose dried shells are used for ornament, drinking cups, etc

any plant that bears this fruitSee also sour gourd, dishcloth gourd, calabash

a bottle or flask made from the dried shell of the bottle gourd

a small bottle shaped like a gourd

Derived Formsgourdlike, adjectivegourd-shaped, adjective

Word Origin for gourd

C14: from Old French gourde, ultimately from Latin cucurbita

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for gourd

c.1300, from Anglo-French gourde, from Old French coorde, ultimately from Latin cucurbita "gourd," of uncertain origin, perhaps related to cucumis "cucumber."