muskmelon
noun
musk·mel·on
ˈməsk-ˌme-lən 
: a usually sweet edible melon that is the fruit of an annual trailing or climbing Asian vine (Cucumis melo) of the gourd family: such as
a
: any of various melons (C. melo var. reticulatus) with netted skin and musky odor that include most of the muskmelons cultivated in North America
especially
: cantaloupe sense 1
Examples of muskmelon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the 1980s, Bradford and his team at UC Davis hypothesized that callose compounds surrounding muskmelon seeds formed a semi-permeable barrier.
—
Calista Oetama, Sacbee.com, 5 June 2025
In other words, the difference between muskmelons and cantaloupe is that cantaloupe is a type of muskmelon—along with honeydew melons.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2024
Just like all mandarins are oranges, but not all oranges are mandarins; not all muskmelons are cantaloupes, but all cantaloupes are muskmelons.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2024
How to Choose a Ripe Melon The basic technique for choosing a ripe melon is the same for cantaloupe, honeydew, and muskmelon.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 June 2024
Crops native to Africa, such as watermelon, okra, yams, black-eyed peas, kola nuts (the basis for Coca-Cola), hibiscus, sesame, muskmelons (like cantaloupe and honeydew), and most significantly, African rice, were transported on ships with enslaved Africans during the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
—Rosalind Cummings-Yeates, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 June 2024
While riding the train to visit her grandma, young protagonist Mai loses the large muskmelon she’d been entrusted to deliver.
—Alma Avalle, Bon Appétit, 25 Nov. 2023
Oka, for example, is a muskmelon bred around 1912 by a priest at a Montreal monastery.
—Washington Post, 5 Nov. 2019
That cuts down on labor costs, too; other muskmelon varieties need to be picked four or more times during the season.
—Debbie Arrington, sacbee, 22 Sep. 2017
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Calista Oetama, Sacbee.com, 5 June 2025
In other words, the difference between muskmelons and cantaloupe is that cantaloupe is a type of muskmelon—along with honeydew melons.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2024
Just like all mandarins are oranges, but not all oranges are mandarins; not all muskmelons are cantaloupes, but all cantaloupes are muskmelons.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2024
How to Choose a Ripe Melon The basic technique for choosing a ripe melon is the same for cantaloupe, honeydew, and muskmelon.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 June 2024
Crops native to Africa, such as watermelon, okra, yams, black-eyed peas, kola nuts (the basis for Coca-Cola), hibiscus, sesame, muskmelons (like cantaloupe and honeydew), and most significantly, African rice, were transported on ships with enslaved Africans during the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
—Rosalind Cummings-Yeates, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 June 2024
While riding the train to visit her grandma, young protagonist Mai loses the large muskmelon she’d been entrusted to deliver.
—Alma Avalle, Bon Appétit, 25 Nov. 2023
Oka, for example, is a muskmelon bred around 1912 by a priest at a Montreal monastery.
—Washington Post, 5 Nov. 2019
That cuts down on labor costs, too; other muskmelon varieties need to be picked four or more times during the season.
—Debbie Arrington, sacbee, 22 Sep. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Muskmelon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/muskmelon. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
muskmelon
noun
musk·mel·on
ˈməsk-ˌmel-ən
: any of various round to oval melons (as the cantaloupes or winter melons) of an Asian vine of the gourd family that have smooth or ridged skin and edible usually sweet flesh
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