cantaloupe

noun

can·​ta·​loupe ˈkan-tə-ˌlōp 

 also  -ˌlüp

variants or less commonly cantaloup

1

: a small widely cultivated muskmelon (Cucumis melo reticulatus) with a heavily netted rind and usually orange flesh

broadly : muskmelon sense a

2

: a muskmelon (Cucumis melo cantalupensis) with a rough hard warty rind that is not usually grown in North America

Examples of cantaloupe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Try adding cantaloupe cubes to a refreshing summer drink, like this Cantaloupe-Peach Agua Fresca. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 June 2024

And amid a severe heat wave across Europe in late July, Italians witnessed hail that approached the size of cantaloupes, with one stone measuring almost eight inches, the largest ever recorded in the continent. —Alice Hill, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2023

Crops native to Africa, such as watermelon, okra, yams, black-eyed peas, kola nuts (the basis for Coca-Cola), hibiscus, sesame, muskmelons (like cantaloupe and honeydew), and most significantly, African rice, were transported on ships with enslaved Africans during the trans-Atlantic slave trade. —Rosalind Cummings-Yeates, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 June 2024

In a salad mixed with leafy greens, cantaloupe offers a surprising benefit, Brandt adds. —Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 19 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Cantalupo, former papal villa near Rome, Italy

First Known Use

1739, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

cantaloupe

noun

can·​ta·​loupe

variants also cantaloup

ˈkant-ᵊl-ˌōp 

: a muskmelon with a hard rough skin and reddish orange flesh