cantaloupe

noun

can·​ta·​loupe ˈkan-tə-ˌlōp 

 also  -ˌlüp

variants or less commonly cantaloup

1

: a small widely cultivated muskmelon (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus) with a heavily netted rind and usually orange flesh

broadly : muskmelon sense a

2

: a muskmelon (Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis) with a rough hard warty rind that is not usually grown in North America

Examples of cantaloupe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Everyone is suitably impressed, except for Tanya, because those were her cantaloupes. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024

Store your cantaloupe cubes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 June 2024

Joe Del Bosque, 75, has grown cantaloupes, almonds and asparagus on the San Joaquin Valley’s west side for decades. —Robin Abcarian, The Mercury News, 3 Jan. 2025

Using two cantaloupes and some ketchup, Dexter demonstrates that the perp must have strangled his victim to death before dropping the body, accounting for the limited blood spatter. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Cantalupo, former papal villa near Rome, Italy

First Known Use

1739, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

cantaloupe

noun

can·​ta·​loupe

variants also cantaloup

ˈkant-ᵊl-ˌōp 

: a muskmelon with a hard rough skin and reddish orange flesh