melon

noun

mel·​on ˈme-lən 

plural melons

often attributive

1

: any of various typically sweet gourds (such as a muskmelon or watermelon) usually eaten raw as fruits

2

: something rounded like a melon: such as

a

: a rounded organ in the front of the head of some cetaceans and all toothed whales that is composed of lipids and waxy material and is thought to be utilized in echolocation

b

: a person's head

A great afternoon at the park usually meant coming home with blisters on our hands, a bump or two on the melon and the obligatory skinned knee.

—Robb Moretti

3

a

: a surplus of profits available for distribution to stockholders

b

: a financial windfall

Synonyms

• head
• skull
• bean
• noodle
• pate
• dome
• noggin

Examples of melon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Many vegetable crops tolerate juglone and can be planted close to walnut trees, including corn, squash, beans, melons, and carrots. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 July 2025

Spoon the melon and icy dessert into glasses or bowls. —Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2025

Weiser, a farm known especially for its melons, was offering lush bouquets of pea shoots, delicate white flowers and crisp, shapely pods sprouting from curling tendrils, pretty enough to display in a vase. —Shauna Lyon, New Yorker, 4 July 2025

The color is a light straw, featuring aromas of ripe pear, melon, and a touch of citrus blossom. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin melon-, melo, short for Latin melopepon-, melopepo, from Greek mēlopepōn, from mēlon apple + pepōn, an edible gourd — more at pumpkin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing melon

• honeydew melon
• melon baller
• winter melon

Rhymes for melon

• felon
• snellen
• tellin
• endothelin
• gibberellin
• watermelon
• muskmelon

Kids Definition

melon

noun

mel·​on ˈmel-ən 

: any of various fruits (as a cantaloupe, honeydew melon, or watermelon) of the gourd family that have juicy and usually sweet flesh eaten raw and a firm rind