cucurbit

[ kyoo-kur-bit ]

noun

1. a gourd.
2. any plant of the gourd family.
3. Chemistry. the gourd-shaped portion of an alembic, a vessel formerly used in distilling.

cucurbit

/ kjuːˈkɜːbɪt /

noun

1. any creeping flowering plant of the mainly tropical and subtropical family Cucurbitaceae, which includes the pumpkin, cucumber, squashes, and gourds

Derived Forms

• cuˌcurbiˈtaceous, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cucurbit¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English cucurbite, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin cucurbita “gourd, cupping glass”; gourd, courgette

Word History and Origins

Origin of cucurbit¹

C14: from Old French, from Latin cucurbita gourd, cup

Example Sentences

A pollinator of cucurbit crops such as squash and pumpkin, the hoary squash bee is a solitary species that exhibits sex differences in physiology and behavior, according to the researchers.

From Science Daily

If you’ll be eating them soon, don’t worry about cooling solanums and cucurbits at all.

From Seattle Times

There are times when warted pumpkins — and, for that matter, all manner of warted cucurbits — look like that because something is terribly wrong.

From Salon

An even more rapacious cucurbit is found on the opposite fence.

From Washington Post

In cucurbits, those additional pollinators could reduce the frustration of shrunken zucchini or cucumbers that didn’t size up to maturity because of insufficient pollination — or plants didn’t bear fruit at all.

From New York Times