What does gourd mean?
A gourd is a fruit with a firm, usually hard shell, belonging to the plant family Cucurbitaceae. The word refers especially to bottle-shaped and other edible gourds, although pumpkins and squashes are also related fruits and are sometimes treated as types of gourds. In a second sense, a gourd is the dried, hollowed shell of such a fruit, used as a bowl, flask, ornament, or musical instrument. Gourds are best known as foods, including varieties such as bottle gourd and bitter gourd, but their usefulness extends beyond cooking. Because the mature shell is durable, people have traditionally dried it and shaped it into containers. The word is therefore both concrete and evocative, carrying associations with autumn harvests, gardening, food, and handmade objects. It is pronounced with a broad first vowel in American English and a more open vowel in British English.
nounA gourd is a hard-shelled fruit belonging to the gourd family, especially one of the bottle-shaped or ridged varieties used as food. By extension, the word can also mean a hollowed, dried gourd used as a container or vessel.
- A hard-shelled fruit of the gourd family, including varieties such as bottle gourd, pumpkin, and squash.
- A vessel made from the hollowed and dried shell of a gourd.
"She sliced a ripe gourd into thin pieces and sautéed them with garlic and herbs."
"The garden produced an enormous gourd that was nearly as large as a watermelon."
"The artist carved decorative patterns into a dried gourd before displaying it."
The standard plural of gourd is gourds.
"The market was full of colorful pumpkins and other gourds."
A gourd can be food, a container, or a natural musical instrument: dried hollow shells have been used for both vessels and rattles in different cultures.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does gourd come from?
English borrowed the word in the Middle English period from Old French gourde. Old French gourde came ultimately from Latin cucurbita, a term for a gourd or gourd-like fruit. The same Latin root is reflected in English words such as cucurbit and cucurbitaceous, which refer to the gourd family and its members.
How gourd is actually used
The word is generally neutral and familiar. When referring to the vessel sense, it often has a traditional, craft, or historical flavor and is less common than the ordinary words bowl, jar, or container.
Easily confused with gourd
A gourd is a fruit or a vessel made from a dried gourd, whereas a guard is someone or something that protects or keeps watch.