watermelon
Americannoun
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the large, roundish or elongated fruit of a trailing vine, Citrullus lanata, of the gourd family, having a hard, green rind and a sweet, juicy, usually pink or red pulp.
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the vine itself.
noun
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an African melon, Citrullus vulgaris, widely cultivated for its large edible fruit
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the fruit of this plant, which has a hard green rind and sweet watery reddish flesh
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of watermelon
Explanation
A watermelon is a plant that grows vines and flowers that ripen into large, juicy fruit also called watermelon. Cold watermelon is delicious at a backyard barbecue. Like squashes and gourds, watermelons grow from long, climbing vines. The deep pink or red flesh of a watermelon, however, is uniquely sweet, juicy, and refreshing. Watermelons are originally native to Africa, and they were brought to North America and cultivated around the 16th century. For many people, it's just not summer without watermelon — the fruit is over 90 percent water, so it's not just delicious, but it also quenches your thirst.
Vocabulary lists containing watermelon
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
That includes her niece who has cleared the entire fridge of any produce, tossing it all into the rubbish, including what Michelle saw as a perfectly good watermelon.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Kerstin Schewe, 65, who stopped by Ari Mini Markt for a slice of watermelon last Sunday, agreed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
There’s no way Clayton’s very seared salmon with watermelon radish can top a Jean-Georges chocolate mousse.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026
From passionfruit, to coconut and watermelon, the 35-year-old counts herself "very lucky" to have acquired some hard-to-find bottles and merch.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
Brie would want me to tell him he can color his watermelon however he wants.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
At Kampala’s Mirembe food market, where stalls overflow with watermelons and green bananas, fish vendor Medie Waiswa uses disinfectant every morning to clean his countertop, storage cabinet, chairs and motorcycle handlebars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
The pair reprised a much-loved segment during Letterman's stint as host - throwing furniture and watermelons off the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater onto a CBS logo.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
Like, for example, when he recently invited Letterman back to “The Late Show” for one last goodbye and recruited him to throw company furniture, watermelons and a three-tiered cake off the theater’s roof.
From Salon ● May 21, 2026
"We're like watermelons, green on the outside, red on the inside," said Peter Gunn, 67, who has switched to Greens from Labour after 45 years.
From Barron's ● Feb. 24, 2026
We passed mile after mile of green fields overflowing with tomatoes and onions and watermelons.
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
