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cucumber

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cucumber

  • /ˈkjuːˌkʌmbə/ UK
  • [ˈkʰjʊu̯ˌkʰʌmbə] UK
  • /ˈkjuːˌkʊmbə/ Northern England
  • [ˈkʰjʊu̯ˌkʰʊ̈mbə] Northern England
  • /ˈkjuˌkʌmbɚ/ US
  • [ˈkʰjʊu̯ˌkʰʌ̈mbɚ] ~ [ˈkʰjʊu̯ˌkʰʌ̈mbɹ̩] US
  • /ˈkjʉˌkʌmbəɹ/ Scotland
  • [ˈkjʉˌkʌmbəɹ] Scotland
  • /ˈkaʊˌkʌmbəɹ/ obsolete
  • [ˈkʰaʊ̯ˌkʰʌmbəɹ] obsolete

Sounds like Qcumber · Rhymes with -ʌmbəɹ

Where it comes from

From Middle English cucumer, cucumber, from Old French cocombre, ultimately from Latin cucumis, cucumerem (possibly through an Old Occitan intermediate). Probably of Pre-Italic substrate origin. First attested in the late 14c. Displaced native English earthapple (see which for more), which has since acquired other senses.

noun cucumbers · cuke · cumber · cowcumber

  1. countable, uncountable A vine in the gourd family, Cucumis sativus. ASPARAGUS, cauliflowers, imperial Sileſia, royal and cabbage lettuces, burnet, purſlain, cucumbers, naſturtian flowers, peaſe and beans ſown in October, artichokes, ſcarlet ſtrawberries, and kidney beans.
  2. countable, uncountable The edible fruit of this plant, having a green rind and crisp white flesh. […]for it has been a common ſaying of phyſicians in England, that a cucumber ſhould be well ſliced, and dreſſed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out, as good for nothing.

    Similar: cuke, cumber

  3. countable, figuratively, informal, uncountable A person who is calm and self-possessed. The guy's a real cucumber.

Translations

Every language

noun plant

Españolpepino
한국어오이 oi
日本語胡瓜 kyūri, キュウリ kyūri
中文黃瓜 /黄瓜 huángguā, 青瓜 qīngguā
हिन्दीखीरा khīrā, ककड़ी kakṛī, त्रपुस trapus
Kiswahilimtango
Portuguêspepineiro, pepino
Françaisconcombre
DeutschGurke
Italianocetriolo
Ελληνικάαγγουριά angouriá
Românăcastravete
Русскийогуре́ц oguréc
Tiếng Việtdưa chuột, dưa leo
العربيةخِيَار ḵiyār
עבריתמְלָפְפוֹן m'laf'fon

noun edible fruit

Españolpepino
한국어오이 oi
日本語胡瓜 kyūri, キュウリ kyūri
中文黃瓜 /黄瓜 huángguā, 青瓜 qīngguā
हिन्दीककड़ी kakṛī, खीरा khīrā, त्रपुस trapus
Kiswahilitango
Portuguêspepino
Françaisconcombre
DeutschGurke, Salatgurke
Italianocetriolo
Ελληνικάαγγούρι angoúri
Românăcastravete
Русскийогуре́ц oguréc
Tiếng Việtdưa chuột, dưa leo
العربيةخِيَار ḵiyār
עבריתמְלָפְפוֹן m'laf'fon

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Cite this
MLA

"cucumber." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/cucumber. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

cucumber. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/cucumber

Chicago

"cucumber." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/cucumber.

BibTeX
@misc{cucumber_2026,
  title = {cucumber},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/cucumber},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}