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

Honeybees are necessary for pollination of most fruit trees as well as cucurbit vegetables such as cucumber, squash, pumpkin, cantaloupe, and watermelon. —Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 10 May 2025

Exact yield will vary depending on the size of the watermelon. —Kelly Brant, Arkansas Online, 6 May 2025

What Happens Next The FDA has urged manufacturers affected by the ban to shift toward using natural coloring agents such as beet, watermelon or carrot juice. —Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025

On the drinks side, select from among a rainbow of bright, refreshing drink options, like a watermelon strawberry frostie ($5) or an ube latte ($6). —Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2025

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