Pumpkin Comes From the Greek for Ripe
A pumpkin is a large orange squash. Its name travelled from Greek through French, and the Halloween lantern was originally a turnip.
A pumpkin is a large winter squash, usually orange and ribbed. The name traces back to Greek *pepon*, meaning ripe, through French *pompon* and English *pumpion*. The carved lantern is younger than people assume in America and older than they assume in Ireland: it began as a turnip.
- A large orange squash. *A field of pumpkins.*
- Pumpkin as an endearment (American). *Come here, pumpkin.*
- Pumpkin spice — a spice blend, containing no pumpkin. *A pumpkin spice latte.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | pumpkin | A giant pumpkin. |
| Plural | pumpkins | Carved pumpkins. |
| Related | squash | Butternut squash. |
| Related | gourd | A dried gourd. |
| Related | jack-o'-lantern | A jack-o'-lantern. |
How it is used in a sentence
- They grow pumpkins for the competition.Record specimens exceed a tonne.
- Pumpkin pie is a Thanksgiving fixture.American.
- Pumpkin spice contains cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.And no pumpkin.
Squash family notes
- Winter squash — hard skin, stores for months
- Summer squash — soft skin, eaten young, includes courgette
- Gourd — usually grown for ornament rather than food
- Seeds — edible, and a crop in their own right
- Carving pumpkins — bred for size and shape, not flavour
From French *pompon*, from Latin *pepo*, from Greek *pepon*, ripe. English *pumpion* became *pumpkin* in America, with the diminutive ending added.
Were jack-o'-lanterns always pumpkins?
No. In Ireland and Scotland they were carved from turnips. Irish emigrants found pumpkins in America easier to carve.
Is a pumpkin a fruit?
Botanically yes, since it develops from a flower and contains seeds. In the kitchen it is treated as a vegetable.