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

Stir in pumpkin, dates, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. — Emily Paster, Midwest Living, 17 Aug. 2026

New this year, Amazon will have a Reese’s Pumpkin Bowl, which features 110 snack-size treats in a reusable pumpkin container. — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 13 Aug. 2026

The legal dispute over the Reese's pumpkins kicked off in 2024, when a lawsuit alleged that Hershey's ads for the candies were deceptive because the smiling pumpkin designs on the wrappers were absent from the actual candies. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

From giant ghosts and pumpkins to creepy characters and playful designs, larger-than-life inflatables are a fun way to take your outdoor Halloween decorations to the next level. — Casey Delbasso, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026

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