watermelon

noun

wa·​ter·​mel·​on ˈwȯ-tər-ˌme-lən 

ˈwä-

1

: a large oblong or roundish fruit with a hard green or white rind often striped or variegated, a sweet watery pink, yellowish, or red pulp, and usually many seeds

2

: a widely cultivated African vine (Citrullus lanatus synonym C. vulgaris) of the gourd family that bears watermelons

Examples of watermelon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The backstory Legend has it that a watermelon stand once occupied the site, and the hotel’s custom bedside lamps include a melon as a wink to its fruity past. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026

Giggling, the girls ordered a pint of watermelon ice cream, requested three spoons, and dropped their last dime into the tip jar. —Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026

Any watermelon that has visible mold should be thrown away. —Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 4 May 2026

Growing up on a watermelon farm in Moldova, Alexandru Zama had a modest upbringing shaped by long days of work and limited resources. —Krystle Rich, CBS News, 2 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for watermelon

• endothelin
• gibberellin
• felon
• melon
• snellen
• tellin
• muskmelon

Kids Definition

watermelon

noun

wa·​ter·​mel·​on ˈwȯt-ər-ˌmel-ən 

ˈwät-

1

: a large oblong or rounded fruit with a hard outer shell, a sweet red juicy pulp, and usually many seeds

2

: a widely grown African vine of the gourd family that produces watermelons