Pumpkin Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms pumpkin American [puhmp-kin, puhng-kin] / ˈpʌmp kɪn, ˈpʌŋ kɪn /

noun

1. a large, edible, orange-yellow fruit borne by a coarse, decumbent vine, Cucurbita pepo, of the gourd family.

2. the similar fruit of any of several related species, as C. maxima or C. moschata.

3. a plant bearing such fruit.

pumpkin British / ˈpʌmpkɪn /

noun

1. any of several creeping cucurbitaceous plants of the genus Cucurbita, esp C. pepo of North America and C. maxima of Europe

2. 1. the large round fruit of any of these plants, which has a thick orange rind, pulpy flesh, and numerous seeds

   2. ( as modifier )

      pumpkin pie

3. (often capital) a term of endearment

"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

Etymology

Origin of pumpkin

1640–50; alteration of pumpion ( -kin ), variant of pompon < Middle French, nasalized variant of popon melon, earlier pepon < Latin pepōn- (stem of pepō ) < Greek pépōn kind of melon

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.

Much of the spice’s charm is overshadowed by an ever-popular pumpkin spice craze, which peaks like clockwork at the start of autumn.

From Salon

Not only is it real, Indiana is the rare Cinderella whose carriage didn’t turn back into a pumpkin.

From The Wall Street Journal

The whole city of Chicago seemed suddenly to overflow with orange pumpkins and tart apples.

From Literature

Heaps of old-fashioned oats, raw coconut flakes, chopped cashews and pumpkin seeds amp up the fiber quotient.

From The Wall Street Journal

The company infused its noodles with protein and nutrients from spinach, pumpkin and kale, and said its ingredients and flavors warrant a price that is more than twice what Kraft’s sells for.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• fruit
• squash

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.