Webster's English Dictionary

Enter the word to look up:

pumpkin

pump.kin \'p*n-k*n, 'p*m(p)-k*n\ n [alter. of earlier pumpion, modif. of F 
   popon, pompon melon,] often attrib pumpkin, fr. L pepon-, pepo, fr. Gk 
   pepo-n ripened, fr. pessein to cook, ripen - more at COOK 1a: the usu. 
   round deep yellow fruit of a vine (Cucurbita pepo) of th e gourd family 
   widely cultivated as food 1b: a winter crookneck squash (C. moschata)  Brit 
    1c: any of various large-fruited winter squashes (C. maxima)  2: a usu. 
   hairy prickly vine that produces pumpkins