pumpkin

noun

pump·​kin ˈpəm(p)-kən 

nonstandard

ˈpəŋ-kən 

often attributive

1

a

: a fruit of any of various cultivars of herbaceous plants (Cucurbita pepo, C. maxima, C. moschata, C. ficifolia, and C. argyrosperma) of the gourd family that is typically round and orange but may be another color or shape, that has a hard usually smooth skin with shallow longitudinal grooves, and that is grown for ornamental use or for its fibrous pale flesh used especially in baking or as feed for livestock

b

: any of several annual chiefly trailing American plants that bear pumpkins

2

: a strong orange color

Examples of pumpkin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Photographed at a fan event on Cockatoo Island in Sydney, Australia, Ortega wore a leather, pumpkin orange and black striped Fendi dress. —Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2025

Add pumpkin shapes alongside or instead of your ghosts using the same technique. —Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Aug. 2025

Other new temptations may include Korean BBQ wings (Brew-Wing Lab kiosk), a seaside pot pie (Coastal Eats) and liquid nitrogen pumpkin cheesecake mousse (Swirled Showcase). —Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2025

Chocolate pumpkin with hazelnuts; peaches ‘n’ cream; double ginger and Utterly Peanut Butter with a whole cup of peanut butter in a quart of ice cream! —Judy Bart Kancigor, Oc Register, 14 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

alteration of earlier pumpion, modification of French popon, pompon melon, pumpkin, from Latin pepon-, pepo, from Greek pepōn, from pepōn ripened; akin to Greek pessein to cook, ripen — more at cook

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing pumpkin

• Japanese pumpkin
• kabocha pumpkin
• kobocha pumpkin
• pumpkin pie spice
• pumpkin spice
• pumpkin spiced

Rhymes for pumpkin

• bumpkin
• lumpkin

Kids Definition

pumpkin

noun

pump·​kin ˈpəm(p)-kən 

1

: the usually round orange fruit of a vine of the gourd family widely used as food

also : a fruit (as a crookneck squash) of a closely related vine

2

: a usually hairy prickly vine that produces pumpkins

3

: a strong orange color

Medical Definition

pumpkin

noun

pump·​kin ˈpəm(p)-kən 

: the usually round orange fruit of a vine (Cucurbita pepo) of the gourd family that is widely cultivated as food and is the source of pepo