gherkin
English
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gherkin¹
- /ˈɡɝkɪn/ US
- /ˈɡɜːkɪn/ UK
Rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)kɪn
Where it comes from
From a form of Dutch gurk, an archaic variant of augurk (“small pickled cucumber”), from Low German, from Middle Low German agurke, augurke, probably via Slavic (compare Polish ogórek), from Medieval Greek ἀγγούριον (angoúrion, “cucumber”). The underlying Dutch form may be a diminutive (gurkijn) or perhaps more probably the plural (gurken), which was then associated with the English suffix -kin (itself incidentally from Dutch or Low German). Compare German Gurke.
noun gherkins · gerkin
- A small cucumber, often pickled whole.
- Pickled cucumber regardless of size; a pickle
- The penis. “Even my gherkin is sorry, and it didn't talk shit about anybody," persists Adrian. The edge of Titus's mouth quivers in laughter.
proper noun the gherkin · gerkin
- Alternative letter-case form of Gherkin
Gherkin²
Where it comes from
After the shape of the building, which is like that of a gherkin.
proper noun the Gherkin
- The building at 30 St Mary Axe, a distinctively-shaped skyscraper in London, England
Translations
Every language
noun small cucumber
| Español | pepinillo |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | ガーキン gākin |
| 中文 | 小黃瓜 /小黄瓜 xiǎohuángguā |
| Português | pepino em conserva |
| Français | cornichon |
| Deutsch | Salzgurke, Gewürzgurke, Gürkchen |
| Italiano | cetriolino |
| Ελληνικά | αγγουράκι angouráki |
| Română | cornișon |
| Русский | корнишо́н kornišón, огу́рчик ogúrčik |
Talk about this word "gherkin." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/gherkin. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. gherkin. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/gherkin "gherkin." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/gherkin.Cite this
@misc{gherkin_2026,
title = {gherkin},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/gherkin},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
