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

Entrees included smokey lamb kebabs, ground lamb meatballs playfully served on cinnamon sticks, and whimsical little pumpkins stuffed with rice. —Nevin Martell, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Jan. 2025

There are more than 30 options of places to choose from within a two-hour drive of Charlotte, and many offer tastings and live music. Mid-October: Pick through a pumpkin patch to snap up a perfect jack-o-lantern candidate. —Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 9 Jan. 2025

Get The Recipe 10 of 30 Pumpkin Banana Bread With both pumpkin puree and mashed banana in the batter, this quick bread is ultra moist and tender. —Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 6 Jan. 2025

The 7th Street Standard 2718 J St. The Lock and Key’s menu starts with pumpkin leek soup and Caesar salad. —Marcus D. Smith, Sacramento Bee, 3 Jan. 2025

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