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

Filled with your choice of meat or tofu, radish, cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, and jalapeno, the sandwiches are served on French bread that’s chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside. —Julekha Dash, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2026

Stir and garnish with cucumber slices and a grapefruit wedge. —Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 6 June 2026

The menu is full of twists-on-classics such as the Clean Dirty Martini, served with a frozen cube of olive juice, and the Ritz Pimms with, of course, many secret ingredients in addition to ginger ale, Champagne, and garnishes of fruit, cucumber, fresh mint and griottine cherries. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026

Shredded vegetables — carrot, ginger, papaya, shallot and cucumber, some pickled and some fresh — are arranged, per the original name, over top in willowy repose. —Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026

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