cantaloupe

noun

can·​ta·​loupe ˈkan-tə-ˌlōp 

 also  -ˌlüp

variants or less commonly cantaloup

1

: a small widely cultivated muskmelon (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus) with a heavily netted rind and usually orange flesh

broadly : muskmelon sense a

2

: a muskmelon (Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis) with a rough hard warty rind that is not usually grown in North America

Examples of cantaloupe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The normally thick horizon haze could attenuate and redden the sun's light somewhat giving it the appearance of a narrow slice of cantaloupe melon. —Joe Rao, Space.com, 26 Mar. 2025

We’re so spoiled by the globalization of produce – cantaloupe in December! —Judy Bart Kancigor, Orange County Register, 16 Jan. 2025

The latest tally makes this the largest listeriosis outbreak in the US since 2011, when cantaloupe processed in an unsanitary facility led to 147 Listeria infections in 28 states, causing 33 deaths, the CDC notes. —Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 28 Aug. 2024

On one wintry visit, a bite of cantaloupe sorbet rocketed me straight into summer; on another, a plain vanilla ice cream sent my whole party into swoons. —Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Cantalupo, former papal villa near Rome, Italy

First Known Use

1739, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cantaloupe

• antelope
• bronchoscope
• cystoscope
• endoscope
• envelope
• epitope
• gyroscope
• horoscope
• isotope
• microscope
• misanthrope
• pericope

Kids Definition

cantaloupe

noun

can·​ta·​loupe

variants also cantaloup

ˈkant-ᵊl-ˌōp 

: a muskmelon with a hard rough skin and reddish orange flesh