melon

noun

mel·​on ˈme-lən 

plural melons

often attributive

1

: any of various typically sweet gourds (such as a muskmelon or watermelon) usually eaten raw as fruits

2

: something rounded like a melon: such as

a

: a rounded organ in the front of the head of some cetaceans and all toothed whales that is composed of lipids and waxy material and is thought to be utilized in echolocation

b

: a person's head

A great afternoon at the park usually meant coming home with blisters on our hands, a bump or two on the melon and the obligatory skinned knee.

—Robb Moretti

3

a

: a surplus of profits available for distribution to stockholders

b

: a financial windfall

Synonyms

• head
• skull
• bean
• noodle
• pate
• dome
• noggin

Examples of melon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The drink — available in watermelon strawberry, raspberry melon and peach tangerine — includes 740 milligrams of electrolytes and three essential B vitamins, with only two grams of sugar added. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025

His extended family owns roughly 1,200 acres of farmland in the region and grows cotton, wheat, grapes, melons and pistachios. —Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025

There’s a little gem salad with peanuts and coconut and a shrimp cocktail served with melon and cucumber. —Beth D'addono, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025

Set melons, winter squash and pumpkins onto a bed of straw or an upside-down yogurt container to keep them off the soil. —Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin melon-, melo, short for Latin melopepon-, melopepo, from Greek mēlopepōn, from mēlon apple + pepōn, an edible gourd — more at pumpkin

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing melon

• honeydew melon
• melon baller
• winter melon

Rhymes for melon

• felon
• snellen
• tellin
• endothelin
• gibberellin
• watermelon
• muskmelon

Kids Definition

melon

noun

mel·​on ˈmel-ən 

: any of various fruits (as a cantaloupe, honeydew melon, or watermelon) of the gourd family that have juicy and usually sweet flesh eaten raw and a firm rind