plural pepos
: an indehiscent fleshy one-celled many-seeded berry (such as a pumpkin, squash, melon, or cucumber) that has a hard rind and is the characteristic fruit of the gourd family
Examples of pepo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Per Britannica, pumpkin is technically a type of berry called a pepo, which is a fruit that has a hard outer layer and no dividing chambers.
—
Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 23 Oct. 2024
Cucurbita pepo, which may have been traced back to the Oaxaca region of Mexico as far back as 9,000 years ago, per Economic Botany.
—Zee Krstic and Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 23 June 2021
Technically, squash and pumpkin all belong to the same species, known as Cucurbita pepo, but while all pumpkins are squash, not all squash are pumpkins, said Judy Jernstedt, a plant sciences professor with the University of California, Davis.
—Robert McMillan, WSJ, 20 Nov. 2018
The big pumpkins, mini pumpkins, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, zucchini, and ornamental gourds are all different cultivars of the same species: Cucurbita pepo, which originated in Mexico more than 10,000 years ago.
—Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 21 June 2018
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Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 23 Oct. 2024
Cucurbita pepo, which may have been traced back to the Oaxaca region of Mexico as far back as 9,000 years ago, per Economic Botany.
—Zee Krstic and Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 23 June 2021
Technically, squash and pumpkin all belong to the same species, known as Cucurbita pepo, but while all pumpkins are squash, not all squash are pumpkins, said Judy Jernstedt, a plant sciences professor with the University of California, Davis.
—Robert McMillan, WSJ, 20 Nov. 2018
The big pumpkins, mini pumpkins, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, zucchini, and ornamental gourds are all different cultivars of the same species: Cucurbita pepo, which originated in Mexico more than 10,000 years ago.
—Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 21 June 2018
Dictionary Entries Near pepo
Cite this Entry
“Pepo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pepo. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pepo
noun
pe·po
ˈpē-pō 
: a fleshy many-seeded fruit (as a pumpkin, squash, melon, or cucumber) of the gourd family that has a hard rind and is technically classified as a berry
Etymology
Latin "a melon"
Medical Definition
pepo
noun
pe·po
ˈpē-(ˌ)pō
plural pepos
: the dried ripe seeds of the pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) used as an anthelmintic and taeniafuge
called also pumpkin seed
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