pumpkin

noun

pump·​kin ˈpəm(p)-kən 

nonstandard

ˈpəŋ-kən 

often attributive

1

a

: a fruit of any of various cultivars of herbaceous plants (Cucurbita pepo, C. maxima, C. moschata, C. ficifolia, and C. argyrosperma) of the gourd family that is typically round and orange but may be another color or shape, that has a hard usually smooth skin with shallow longitudinal grooves, and that is grown for ornamental use or for its fibrous pale flesh used especially in baking or as feed for livestock

b

: any of several annual chiefly trailing American plants that bear pumpkins

2

: a strong orange color

Examples of pumpkin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the fall, a sea of over 1,000 pumpkins of various sizes sourced from a local farm decorate the front lawn. —Caitlin Palumbo, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

Christen McCoy, 39, grows over 50 types of plants in her backyard garden, including tomatoes, peppers, sprouts and pumpkins — saving herself and the family about $50 each week on groceries, news service SWNS reported. —Peter Burke, Fox News, 10 Dec. 2024

Among them: green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli; nuts like cashews and almonds; seeds like pumpkin, sesame, and chia; as well as legumes like chickpeas, lentils, and black beans. —Ana Morales, Vogue, 5 Dec. 2024

For a pumpkin pancake recipe that can feed a crowd and packs a punch of fall flavor, use our recipe for perfect pumpkin pancakes. —Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier pumpion, modification of French popon, pompon melon, pumpkin, from Latin pepon-, pepo, from Greek pepōn, from pepōn ripened; akin to Greek pessein to cook, ripen — more at cook

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing pumpkin

• Japanese pumpkin
• kabocha pumpkin
• kobocha pumpkin
• pumpkin pie spice
• pumpkin spice
• pumpkin spiced

Kids Definition

pumpkin

noun

pump·​kin ˈpəm(p)-kən 

1

: the usually round orange fruit of a vine of the gourd family widely used as food

also : a fruit (as a crookneck squash) of a closely related vine

2

: a usually hairy prickly vine that produces pumpkins

3

: a strong orange color

Medical Definition

pumpkin

noun

pump·​kin ˈpəm(p)-kən 

: the usually round orange fruit of a vine (Cucurbita pepo) of the gourd family that is widely cultivated as food and is the source of pepo