melon

noun

mel·​on ˈme-lən 

plural melons

often attributive

1

: any of various typically sweet gourds (such as a muskmelon or watermelon) usually eaten raw as fruits

2

: something rounded like a melon: such as

a

: a rounded organ in the front of the head of some cetaceans and all toothed whales that is composed of lipids and waxy material and is thought to be utilized in echolocation

b

: a person's head

A great afternoon at the park usually meant coming home with blisters on our hands, a bump or two on the melon and the obligatory skinned knee.

—Robb Moretti

3

a

: a surplus of profits available for distribution to stockholders

b

: a financial windfall

Examples of melon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Forget boring party platter fodder and say hello to the new, improved melon: its more sustainable and much sexier. —Rai Mincey, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024

This fun fusion of pineapple and melon notes has a whole lot of tropical awesomeness. —Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 25 Dec. 2024

Prices for vegetables, melons, poultry and residential electricity also jumped. —Courtenay Brown, Axios, 12 Dec. 2024

At six feet six, with woodcutter’s biceps, Stanton can chop baseballs with such force that the sound resonates like an axe to a melon. —Nicholas Dawidoff, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin melon-, melo, short for Latin melopepon-, melopepo, from Greek mēlopepōn, from mēlon apple + pepōn, an edible gourd — more at pumpkin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing melon

• honeydew melon
• melon baller
• winter melon

Kids Definition

melon

noun

mel·​on ˈmel-ən 

: any of various fruits (as a cantaloupe, honeydew melon, or watermelon) of the gourd family that have juicy and usually sweet flesh eaten raw and a firm rind