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

Melons Watermelon and cantaloupe bring a taste of true Southern summer. —Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 2 May 2026

The guests, influenced by a secondhand spirit of festivity, ordered a round of Melonades, a refreshing, bittersweet concoction of vodka, lemon, and cantaloupe, topped with a heap of crushed ice. —Dan Stahl, New Yorker, 1 May 2026

That is roughly the weight of an average cantaloupe. —Manjishtha Bhattacharyya, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 May 2026

In Bed-Stuy, a friend reported that her entire walk home from Pilates had turned cantaloupe. —Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 28 Apr. 2026

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