cucumber

noun

cu·​cum·​ber ˈkyü-(ˌ)kəm-bər 

: the fruit of a vine (Cucumis sativus) of the gourd family cultivated as a garden vegetable

also : this vine

Illustration of cucumber

Examples of cucumber in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Warm season vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers need at least six to eight hours of sunlight a day to thrive. —Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024

Wet or Dry Some ferments, like kimchi, are rubbed with salt and fermented dry, while others, like pickled cucumbers, are preserved in a liquid brine of salt dissolved in water. —Alex Testere, Saveur, 9 Oct. 2024

In some of the Balkan Breakfast videos, people dip raw cucumbers, peppers, and tomatoes into a bowl of salt before taking each bite. —Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 9 Oct. 2024

Pour cucumber juice over ice, add a splash of rosewater, close jar and shake. —Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 2 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French cucumbre, from Latin cucumer-, cucumis

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cucumber

• cucumber mosaic
• cucumber tree
• sea cucumber
• spotted cucumber beetle
• squirting cucumber

Kids Definition

cucumber

noun

cu·​cum·​ber ˈkyü-(ˌ)kəm-bər 

: the long fleshy usually many-seeded green-skinned fruit of a vine of the gourd family that is grown as a garden vegetable

also : this vine

Medical Definition

cucumber

noun

cu·​cum·​ber ˈkyü-(ˌ)kəm-bər 

: the fruit of a vine (Cucumis sativus) of the gourd family that is cultivated as a garden vegetable and that has diuretic seeds

also : this vine