melon

American  

[mel-uhn] / ˈmɛl ən /

noun

1. the fruit of any of various plants of the gourd family, as the muskmelon or watermelon.

2. medium crimson or deep pink.

3. the visible upper portion of the head of a surfacing whale or dolphin, including the beak, eyes, and blowhole.

4. Informal.

   1. a large extra dividend, often in the form of stock, to be distributed to stockholders.

      Profits zoomed so in the last quarter that the corporation cut a nice melon.

   2. any windfall of money to be divided among specified participants.

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melon British  

/ ˈmɛlən /

noun

1. any of several varieties of two cucurbitaceous vines, cultivated for their edible fruit See muskmelon watermelon

2. the fruit of any of these plants, which has a hard rind and juicy flesh

3. slang to declare an abnormally high dividend to shareholders

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Etymology

Origin of melon

1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin mēlōn- (stem of mēlō ), short for mēlopepō < Greek mēlopépōn apple-shaped melon, equivalent to mêlo ( n ) apple + pépōn pepo

Example Sentences

His rider contains only healthful snacks: granola bars, melon slices, grapes large as ping-pong balls.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

On a recent weekday, Gao, her husband, daughter and niece left with a cart full of snacks, including melon milk drinks and a Swiss roll cake.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

Quality sounds intuitively appealing to any shopper, from car-lot tire kickers to produce-aisle melon sniffers.

From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025

Take the classic Italian combo of melon and cured meat: ripe slices paired with braseola or prosciutto.

From Salon • May 31, 2025

And at the water's edge was a perfect melon slice of a beach all protected by the outer chain of sharp rocks.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos

Related Words

• cantaloupe
• gourd
• papaya
• watermelon