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.

Make a pumpkin spice blend that leans heavily on ginger instead of cinnamon, with a flicker of cardamom for warmth.

From Salon

Next up, a pumpkin loaf that refuses to be merely seasonal wallpaper: layered with cold coffee, cardamom, candied citrus and dark chocolate, it’s a little bit bakery, a little bit cozy kitchen alchemy.

From Salon

But the family pumpkin patch and Christmas tree business remained a constant.

From Los Angeles Times

Before the fire, she did not have a pumpkin patch.

From Los Angeles Times

My first project was a trio of Thanksgiving pies made entirely from scratch: apple, pumpkin and pecan.

From Salon

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.