pumpkin
Pluralpumpkins
- 1A large round vegetable, usually orange, with seeds inside. In Australia, the word also covers other hard-skinned squashes.
Like a big orange ball that grows on a vine.
We carved a pumpkin into a jack-o'-lantern for Halloween.
The market sold ripe pumpkins by the crate.
UsageSay a pumpkin for the whole one, and some pumpkin for the food.
Note
- 2A garden vine that produces large round fruit, much like squash or melon.
Like a squash plant that spreads along the ground and makes big round fruit.
The pumpkin spread its long vines across the whole garden.
Our pumpkin sent long vines across half the yard all summer.
Note
- 3A bright orange color, like that of a ripe pumpkin.
The kitchen walls are painted pumpkin, so the room always feels warm.
The autumn leaves turned shades of red, gold, and pumpkin.
Less common meanings
- 4A loving name for a small, cute person, often a child.
Come here, pumpkin, and give me a hug.
Did you have a good day at school, pumpkin?
UsageSaid to a child or loved one, often my little pumpkin. Do not use it with strangers.
Similarsweetheart, darling, honey, sweetie, dear
Note
- 5The case on a vehicle's axle that holds special gears, or the case and its gears together.
Practice
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Origin
An older form was "pompion." This came from Latin "pepo" and from Ancient Greek "pepon," meaning "large melon" or "ripe."
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- Pompion was an earlier form of pumpkin. en.wikipedia.org
- Pompion ultimately derives from Latin pepo. en.wiktionary.org
- The origin includes Ancient Greek pepon meaning large melon and, earlier, ripe. en.wiktionary.org