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

Each family member took creative liberties with their Halloween costumes in 2021, dressing up as everything from an adorable pumpkin to a football player. — Brendan Le, PEOPLE, 10 July 2026

Spiders and spiderwebs may inspire countless spooky Halloween decorations, but real ones are alive and active long before pumpkin-carving season. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 9 July 2026

Swap pumpkins for fruit-o’-lanterns, wrap crescent dough around hot dogs for mummy dogs and mix a batch of blood punch. — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 July 2026

Costume parties, spooky snacks and horror movie marathons do not have to wait until October, and dressing a watermelon like a jack-o’-lantern is arguably more fun than carving a pumpkin. — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 8 July 2026

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