pepo

noun

pe·​po ˈpē-(ˌ)pō 

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

Word History

Etymology

Latin, a melon — more at pumpkin

First Known Use

circa 1849, in the meaning defined above

Kids 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