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

The list includes two three- to five-pound Marketside spiral hams, gravy, potatoes, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole and vegetable sides, as well as pumpkin and pecan pie ingredients. —Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 19 Dec. 2025

As any gardener can tell you, squash bugs are one of the hardest pests to eradicate in vegetable gardens and they’re particularly drawn to plants in the cucurbit family, like squash and pumpkins. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Dec. 2025

Bocce’s is one of my go-to brands for tasty cookies that my dog always loves, and this chicken and pumpkin recipe is sure to be a new favorite. —Rachel Trujillo, PEOPLE, 16 Dec. 2025

Substitute butter with healthy oils, bananas, pumpkin, or applesauce. —Sohaib Imtiaz, Verywell Health, 16 Dec. 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