calabash
noun
cal·a·bash
ˈka-lə-ˌbash 
1
: a tropical American tree (Crescentia cujete) of the bignonia family
also
: its large hard-shelled globose fruit
2
: gourd
especially
: one whose hard shell is used for a utensil
3
: a utensil (such as a bottle or dipper) made from the shell of a calabash
Examples of calabash in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hill’s earrings and necklace designs referenced calabash gourds, a significant symbol in west African culture.
—
Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 6 May 2025
The traditional cup is brown and made of a hollowed calabash gourd, but can be made of metal, ceramic or wood.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025
The precursor of the xylophone and marimba, a balafon is made by carefully cutting 21 wooden slats into different lengths, fixing them atop hallow calabashes, and striking them with mallets wound with the gum and sap of a rubber tree.
—Eliot Stein, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2024
Spa therapies incorporate calabash gourds, Eastern modalities, and red hematite body masks à la the iconic Himba women.
—Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2023
Inside a series of colorful huts, purveyors sell crafted items like bird feeders made from calabash pods.
—Pamela Wright, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Jan. 2023
For instance, the Soccer City Stadium in Soweto, South Africa, resembles a calabash and is a perfect example of what can happen when art, culture, and soccer are successfully interwoven.
—Meron Demisse, Quartz, 27 Oct. 2022
The label features the calabash, a traditional clay drinking vessel.
—Melanie Van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2022
My father’s favorite sound was the sound of the kora, a harp-like instrument with twenty-one strings held taut between a wooden neck and a calabash body.
—Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2021
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Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 6 May 2025
The traditional cup is brown and made of a hollowed calabash gourd, but can be made of metal, ceramic or wood.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025
The precursor of the xylophone and marimba, a balafon is made by carefully cutting 21 wooden slats into different lengths, fixing them atop hallow calabashes, and striking them with mallets wound with the gum and sap of a rubber tree.
—Eliot Stein, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2024
Spa therapies incorporate calabash gourds, Eastern modalities, and red hematite body masks à la the iconic Himba women.
—Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 17 July 2023
Inside a series of colorful huts, purveyors sell crafted items like bird feeders made from calabash pods.
—Pamela Wright, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Jan. 2023
For instance, the Soccer City Stadium in Soweto, South Africa, resembles a calabash and is a perfect example of what can happen when art, culture, and soccer are successfully interwoven.
—Meron Demisse, Quartz, 27 Oct. 2022
The label features the calabash, a traditional clay drinking vessel.
—Melanie Van Zyl, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2022
My father’s favorite sound was the sound of the kora, a harp-like instrument with twenty-one strings held taut between a wooden neck and a calabash body.
—Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Calabash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calabash. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
calabash
noun
cal·a·bash
ˈkal-ə-ˌbash
: gourd sense 2
especially
: one whose hard shell is used for a utensil (as a bottle)
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