gourd

[ gawrd, gohrd, goord ]

noun

1. the hard-shelled fruit of any of various plants, especially those of Lagenaria siceraria white-flowered gourd, or bottle gourd, whose dried shell is used for bowls and other utensils, and Cucurbita pepo yellow-flowered gourd, used ornamentally. Compare gourd family.
2. a plant bearing such a fruit.
3. a dried and excavated gourd shell used as a bottle, dipper, flask, etc.
4. a gourd-shaped, small-necked bottle or flask.

gourd

/ ɡʊəd /

noun

1. the fruit of any of various cucurbitaceous or similar plants, esp the bottle gourd and some squashes, whose dried shells are used for ornament, drinking cups, etc
2. See calabash, dishcloth gourd, sour gourd
   any plant that bears this fruit See also sour gourd dishcloth gourd calabash
3. a bottle or flask made from the dried shell of the bottle gourd
4. a small bottle shaped like a gourd

Derived Forms

• ˈgourd-ˌshaped, adjective
• ˈgourdˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• gourdlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gourd¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English gourd(e), courde, from Anglo-French ( Old French cöorde ), from Latin cucurbita

Word History and Origins

Origin of gourd¹

C14: from Old French gourde, ultimately from Latin cucurbita

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. out of / off one's gourd, Slang. out of one's mind; crazy.

Example Sentences

Holding the first pumpkin by its stem, slowly and steadily submerge the entire gourd into the tub.

From Popular-Science

In a recent interview, Sona Jobarteh, a musician and composer from Gamba in West Africa, a virtuoso on the Kora, a multi-stringed lute with a gourd body, explained her music did not mean the same to all listeners.

From Nautilus

Preachers and Hackmen Thrive Through Novel Industry which Sprang into Existence as Rapidly as Jonah’s Gourd When Delaware Adopted Laws Correcting Evils of Its Lax License System.

From Time

I will cook, and I’m setting up a fall table with leaf and gourd decorations and a sweet pecan pie candle.

From Washington Post

Teammates would get calls from Ellis out of his gourd at 3:30 a.m. on nights before games.

From The Daily Beast

Instead, Violet is kidnapped and solid to a rival courtesan house, where she is trained by an older courtesan named Magic Gourd.

From The Daily Beast

The woman who was the spokesperson held out a calabash, a hollowed out gourd traditionally used to hold the cutters' instruments.

From The Daily Beast

One is simply composed of a crooked stick, a small hollow gourd, and a single string of brass wire.

From Project Gutenberg

See Fig. 85, a copy of a broken sepulchral slab, in which the prophets booth is reduced to a single branch of a gourd.

From Project Gutenberg

With that he took a big gourd from the corner and painted a face on it with a piece of charcoal found in the fireplace.

From Project Gutenberg

Through the opening he slowly pushed the gourd, topped by the hat and having long hair hanging down the sides.

From Project Gutenberg

I have a clear picture of the warrior holding the 247 end of the cord calling for some one to bring a gourd of water.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• beaker
• canteen
• carafe
• chalice
• decanter
• jug
• urn
• vial