watermelon

[ waw-ter-mel-uhn, wot-er- ]

noun

1. the large, roundish or elongated fruit of a trailing vine, Citrullus lanata, of the gourd family, having a hard, green rind and a sweet, juicy, usually pink or red pulp.
2. the vine itself.

watermelon

/ ˈwɔːtəˌmɛlən /

noun

1. an African melon, Citrullus vulgaris, widely cultivated for its large edible fruit
2. the fruit of this plant, which has a hard green rind and sweet watery reddish flesh

Word History and Origins

Origin of watermelon¹

First recorded in 1605–15; water + melon

Example Sentences

Hinchcliffe also made jokes about “carving a watermelon” with a Black buddy, and said Latinos “love making babies”: “There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country.”

From Salon

But it's self-evident that the campaign spokesperson lied because she didn't disavow any of the many other racist jokes Hinchcliffe told, such as a tired joke about Black people and watermelon and another complaining about Latinos having babies.

From Salon

He also had a gag about hanging out with a Black friend and instead of carving pumpkins, they carved a watermelon.

From Salon

The watermelon symbol is synonymous with the pro-Palestinian movement as the colours of the fruit are the same as those on the Palestinian flag.

From BBC

On Tuesday night's episode, contestant Ali Bromley was seen wearing a black T-shirt displaying a watermelon in the garden of the Big Brother house.

From BBC

Related Words

• cantaloupe
• gourd
• papaya