cucumber

noun

cu·​cum·​ber ˈkyü-(ˌ)kəm-bər How to pronounce cucumber (audio)
: the fruit of a vine (Cucumis sativus) of the gourd family cultivated as a garden vegetable
also : this vine

Illustration of cucumber

Illustration of cucumber

Examples of cucumber in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web That’s because the key botanicals used to flavor the spirit—rose petals and cucumber—were considered to be unusual at the time. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024 The namesake Paradise Burger is topped with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, pickled onion and 1000 island dressing. Endia Fontanez, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 The special menu includes a green salad featuring arugula, baby spinach, radishes, endives, onions, poached peppers, avocado, cucumbers and grape tomatoes, matzo ball soup and braised fish with asparagus risotto and edamame puree. Roger Sands, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 Our recipe blends the assertive flavors of cucumber and red onion (an excellent spring vegetable) with tangy sour cream, mayo, and ranch dressing mix. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2024 Pouring hot bacon grease over new lettuce, onions, and cucumber. Krista Stevens, Longreads, 31 Jan. 2024 Fine strain the liquid into a double Old Fashioned glass and garnish with a cucumber ribbon. 7. Jillian Dara, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 Packaged by Untitled Events, the menu featured cold sesame noodles, grilled chicken yakitori skewers, crunchy cucumber salad, spicy kimchi dip with wonton chips. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024 There’s the Beet Le Juice with El Tesoro Blanco, Milagro Reposado, beet and lime juices and cucumber syrup, and a BreakRoom Manhattan with two kinds of rye, Del Professore Rosso vermouth and Sicilian Amaro dell’Etna. John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cucumber.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French cucumbre, from Latin cucumer-, cucumis

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cucumber was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near cucumber

Cite this Entry

“Cucumber.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cucumber. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cucumber

noun
cu·​cum·​ber ˈkyü-(ˌ)kəm-bər How to pronounce cucumber (audio)
: the long fleshy usually many-seeded green-skinned fruit of a vine of the gourd family that is grown as a garden vegetable
also : this vine

Medical Definition

cucumber

noun
cu·​cum·​ber ˈkyü-(ˌ)kəm-bər How to pronounce cucumber (audio)
: the fruit of a vine (Cucumis sativus) of the gourd family that is cultivated as a garden vegetable and that has diuretic seeds
also : this vine

More from Merriam-Webster on cucumber

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