gourd

noun

ˈgȯrd  ˈgu̇rd 

plural gourds

1

: any of a family (Cucurbitaceae, the gourd family) of chiefly herbaceous tendril-bearing vines including the cucumber, melon, squash, and pumpkin

2

: the fruit of a gourd : pepo

especially : any of various hard-rinded inedible fruits of plants of two genera (Lagenaria and Cucurbita) often used for ornament or for vessels and utensils

Walking through the various barrios, you might see people sharing sips from a little gourd with a straw in it.

—Bruce Sanderson

… a basketball-size gourd draped with a veil of wooden beads—to incite individual bursts of improvisation from the orchestra's players.

—The New Yorker

see also:

out of one's gourd

Examples of gourd in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Scatter edible pears, a few brown leaves, and mini gourds down your dining table to create a rustic centerpiece. — Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Aug. 2026

Their ever-changing gallery artists include oil, watercolor, photography, mixed media, digital art, wall-hangings, textiles, gourds, wood-turning, pottery, jewelry, glasswork, etc. — News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026

Considering the remote location, the camp’s range of wellness treatments is impressive, from rose-clay exfoliation wraps to full manis and pedis to massages with Namibian calabash gourds. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026

The flying gourds are part of the perennially popular pumpkin catapult competition. — Katy Spratte Joyce, Midwest Living, 22 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gourde, from Anglo-French gurde, gourde, from Latin cucurbita

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing gourd

• bottle gourd
• buffalo gourd
• out of one's gourd

Rhymes for gourd

• board
• bored
• chord
• cord
• corde
• cored
• fjord
• floored
• gored
• hoard
• horde
• lord

Kids Definition

gourd

noun

ˈgō(ə)rd  ˈgȯ(ə)rd 

ˈgu̇(ə)rd

1

: any of a family of tendril-bearing vines (as the cucumber, melon, squash, and pumpkin)

2

: the usually hard-shell many-seeded fruit of a gourd

gourdlike

-ˌlīk

adjective