gherkin

American  

[gur-kin] / ˈgɜr kɪn /

noun

1. the small, immature fruit of a variety of cucumber, used in pickling.

2. Also called bur gherkin,.  Also called gooseberry gourd,.  Also called West Indian gherkin.  the small, spiny fruit of a tropical vine, Cucumis anguria, of the gourd family, used in pickling.

3. the plant yielding this fruit.

4. a small pickle, especially one made from this fruit.

---

gherkin ¹ British  

/ ˈɡɜːkɪn /

noun

1. the immature fruit of any of various cucumbers, used for pickling

2. 1. a tropical American cucurbitaceous climbing plant, Cucumis anguria

   2. the small edible fruit of this plant

---

Gherkin ² British  

/ ˈɡɜːkɪn /

noun

1. an informal name for Swiss Re Tower

---

Etymology

Origin of gherkin

1655–65; < Dutch gurken, plural of gurk ( German Gurke ) < Slavic; compare Polish ogórek, Czech okurka ≪ Persian

Example Sentences

The gherkins “symbolized for me the last thing you have in your cupboards when you run out of everything. It starts from the last gherkin jar, and from there it all goes south.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2025

As I bit into the taut casing of the sausage, chunks of onion and gherkin fell here and there.

From Washington Post • Apr. 21, 2022

The burger came in a tiny brioche bun, with a gherkin topping and sweet maple-mustard sauce.

From The Guardian • Sep. 5, 2017

"We already have a giant gherkin in the City, now it looks as if we are going to have an enormous salt cellar as well," the Prince of Wales said in 2003.

From BBC • Dec. 19, 2015

The brick-burners had pity on him; they gave him an old tattered garment to wear and a piece of black 176 bread and a gherkin to eat.

From Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales by Bain, R. Nisbet (Robert Nisbet)