pumpkin

noun

pump·​kin ˈpəm(p)-kən 

nonstandard

ˈpəŋ-kən 

often attributive

1

a

: a fruit of any of various cultivars of herbaceous plants (Cucurbita pepo, C. maxima, C. moschata, C. ficifolia, and C. argyrosperma) of the gourd family that is typically round and orange but may be another color or shape, that has a hard usually smooth skin with shallow longitudinal grooves, and that is grown for ornamental use or for its fibrous pale flesh used especially in baking or as feed for livestock

b

: any of several annual chiefly trailing American plants that bear pumpkins

2

: a strong orange color

Examples of pumpkin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There, guests can snack on desserts like pumpkin tarts and chai macarons while enjoying the quiet reprieve and views from the hotel’s 23rd-floor bar. —Cat Sposato, AFAR Media, 12 Feb. 2025

Purdue Extension to host Vegetable Educational meeting Purdue Extension-Lake County will host the 2025 Vegetable Educational Meeting for vegetable and pumpkin farmers and all interested vegetable growers from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 18 at the Extension office, 2291 N. Main St., Crown Point. —Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2025

May Improve Bladder Health The seeds of certain pumpkin varieties (Cucurbita pepo L.) have traditionally been used to treat parasites (e.g., intestinal worms) and urinary tract infections (UTIs). —Lauren O'Connor, Ms, Health, 5 Feb. 2025

The pumpkin creamy rice ($22) — aioli, black truffle, meat broth and microgreens — is one of Spanish chef Aitor Garate Berasaluze's favorites, per Miami New Times. —Martin Vassolo, Axios, 3 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier pumpion, modification of French popon, pompon melon, pumpkin, from Latin pepon-, pepo, from Greek pepōn, from pepōn ripened; akin to Greek pessein to cook, ripen — more at cook

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing pumpkin

• Japanese pumpkin
• kabocha pumpkin
• kobocha pumpkin
• pumpkin pie spice
• pumpkin spice
• pumpkin spiced

Rhymes for pumpkin

• bumpkin
• lumpkin

Kids Definition

pumpkin

noun

pump·​kin ˈpəm(p)-kən 

1

: the usually round orange fruit of a vine of the gourd family widely used as food

also : a fruit (as a crookneck squash) of a closely related vine

2

: a usually hairy prickly vine that produces pumpkins

3

: a strong orange color

Medical Definition

pumpkin

noun

pump·​kin ˈpəm(p)-kən 

: the usually round orange fruit of a vine (Cucurbita pepo) of the gourd family that is widely cultivated as food and is the source of pepo