cucumber

noun

cu·​cum·​ber ˈkyü-(ˌ)kəm-bər 

: the fruit of a vine (Cucumis sativus) of the gourd family cultivated as a garden vegetable

also : this vine

Illustration of cucumber

Examples of cucumber in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The dinner menu includes cucumber avocado soup, chicken schnitzel and pork chop with butternut squash purée, broccolini and confit tomatoes. —Gary Stoller, Forbes, 21 Sep. 2024

Top your favorite greens with warm or chilled Buffalo chicken dip and add diced tomatoes and cucumber. —Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 20 Sep. 2024

The swoops of cucumber tendrils and the zags of carnation leaves are examples of inherent, ubiquitous plant movements called circumnutations – from the Latin circum, meaning circle, and nutare, meaning to nod. —Chantal Nguyen, The Conversation, 13 Sep. 2024

Compliment the lunch bag with cherry tomatoes, baby cucumber (no cutting needed!), or raisins. —Toby Amidor, Ms, Rd, Cdn, Parents, 11 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French cucumbre, from Latin cucumer-, cucumis

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing cucumber

• cucumber mosaic
• cucumber tree
• sea cucumber
• spotted cucumber beetle
• squirting cucumber

Kids Definition

cucumber

noun

cu·​cum·​ber ˈkyü-(ˌ)kəm-bər 

: the long fleshy usually many-seeded green-skinned fruit of a vine of the gourd family that is grown as a garden vegetable

also : this vine

Medical Definition

cucumber

noun

cu·​cum·​ber ˈkyü-(ˌ)kəm-bər 

: the fruit of a vine (Cucumis sativus) of the gourd family that is cultivated as a garden vegetable and that has diuretic seeds

also : this vine