pumpkin

American  

[puhmp-kin, puhng-kin] / ˈpʌmp kɪn, ˈpʌŋ kɪn /

noun

1. a large, edible, orange-yellow fruit borne by a coarse, decumbent vine, Cucurbita pepo, of the gourd family.

2. the similar fruit of any of several related species, as C. maxima or C. moschata.

3. a plant bearing such fruit.

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pumpkin British  

/ ˈpʌmpkɪn /

noun

1. any of several creeping cucurbitaceous plants of the genus Cucurbita, esp C. pepo of North America and C. maxima of Europe

2. 1. the large round fruit of any of these plants, which has a thick orange rind, pulpy flesh, and numerous seeds

   2. ( as modifier )

      pumpkin pie

3. (often capital) a term of endearment

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Etymology

Origin of pumpkin

1640–50; alteration of pumpion ( -kin ), variant of pompon < Middle French, nasalized variant of popon melon, earlier pepon < Latin pepōn- (stem of pepō ) < Greek pépōn kind of melon

Explanation

A pumpkin is a round, orange type of squash that grows on a plant also called a pumpkin. It’s the raw material for a jack-o’-lantern. Cook one up in a pie or name your precious poodle after it. Pumpkins are most commonly harvested in the fall, and they're often associated with Halloween, when people traditionally hollow them out and carve faces on them. Pumpkin is delicious in sweet and savory foods, and pumpkin pie is a popular Thanksgiving dessert in the US. The word was originally pompone, from the Greek root pepon, "melon," or literally, "cooked by the sun."

Example Sentences

It was a Cinderella story that smelled like rotting pumpkin.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

Homeboy said it plans to maintain the exterior of the Spanish-style property and will continue selling the well-known pumpkin bread and candy, though there might be gaps in service during the transition.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

Not only is it real, Indiana is the rare Cinderella whose carriage didn’t turn back into a pumpkin.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

And they plan to open a pumpkin patch for children for Halloween.

From BBC • Dec. 29, 2025

Laura stood on a chair and watched the pumpkin for Ma, and stirred it with a wooden paddle.

From "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Related Words

• fruit
• squash