plural gourds
1
: any of a family (Cucurbitaceae, the gourd family) of chiefly herbaceous tendril-bearing vines including the cucumber, melon, squash, and pumpkin
2
: the fruit of a gourd : pepo
especially : any of various hard-rinded inedible fruits of plants of two genera (Lagenaria and Cucurbita) often used for ornament or for vessels and utensils
Walking through the various barrios, you might see people sharing sips from a little gourd with a straw in it. Bruce Sanderson
… a basketball-size gourd draped with a veil of wooden beads—to incite individual bursts of improvisation from the orchestra's players. The New Yorker

see also out of one's gourd

Examples of gourd in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The rattles became widespread in the third millennium B.C., researchers said, sometimes made of clay while other times made from gourds or other material. Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 20 May 2025 These ensembles are made from materials including wood, cloth and fabrics, sequins, feathers, gourds, raffia, and cowry shells. Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025 Hill’s earrings and necklace designs referenced calabash gourds, a significant symbol in west African culture. Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 6 May 2025 Next, add the ridge gourd and ivy gourd (or the zucchini and chayote). Vicky Hallett, NPR, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gourd

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gourde, from Anglo-French gurde, gourde, from Latin cucurbita

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gourd.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gourd. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

gourd

noun
1
: any of a family of tendril-bearing vines (as the cucumber, melon, squash, and pumpkin)
2
: the usually hard-shell many-seeded fruit of a gourd
gourdlike
-ˌlīk
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on gourd

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