gourd

American  

[gawrd, gohrd, goord] / gɔrd, goʊrd, gʊərd /

noun

• gourds
  plural

1. 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.

2. a plant bearing such a fruit.

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

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

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idioms

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

gourd British  

/ ɡʊəd /

noun

1. 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

2. any plant that bears this fruit See also sour gourd dishcloth gourd calabash

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

4. a small bottle shaped like a gourd

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• gourd-shaped
  adjective
• gourdlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• gourds
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gourd

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English gourd(e), courde, from Anglo-French ( Old French cöorde ), from Latin cucurbita

Explanation

A gourd is a squash-like plant with a hard, colorful skin. You'll often find gourds decorating the table at Thanksgiving. You can think of gourds as decorative fruit — like a squash, a gourd's not a vegetable, strictly speaking, but unlike squash, most gourds aren't much good for eating. In fact, the word is often used for the dried, hollowed skin of a gourd, which has been used for centuries as a container, musical instrument, scoop, or drinking vessel. If someone says, "You're out of your gourd!" they mean you've lost your senses.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gourd gourds

Then she was quiet for a moment, watching a Carolina wren pop in and out of a gourd it was using for a nest.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

Zhao Xuan, 28, who tells the BBC that her parents dispensed so much "gourd soup literature" that she has muted her family group chat.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

Body-cam footage released by the Parma Heights Police Department shows one bemused officer describing how the gourd just “took off” as he tried to grab it.

From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2025

A beaver’s tail creates a rhythm on the deck and an opossum has a bass fashioned out of a gourd.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2024

Afterward, Tree-ear washed in the river and fetched a gourd of water for Crane-man, who never went into the river if he could help it; he hated getting his feet wet.

From "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park

It is sold on street corners from vendors with large gourds, and also seen mixed with spirits on cocktail menus in upscale restaurants throughout the state.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

Meanwhile, Black Americans enslaved on plantations were using homemade instruments such as stringed gourds to produce music with complex rhythms influenced by African traditions, which would later develop into blues and jazz.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 15, 2026

Earlier research from Inui and his team revealed that gourds contain a type of protein that binds to pollutants, allowing them to move through the plant's tissues.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2025

In 1640, botanist John Parkinson wrote of "gourds or millions, or pompions, or whatsoever else you please to call them".

From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2024

Others in the group had gourds too, or plastic bottles.

From "A Long Walk to Water" by Linda Sue Park

Related Words

• beaker
• canteen
• carafe
• chalice
• decanter
• jug
• urn
• vial