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Glite Dictionary
gourd family

gourd family

4.7
A group of plants like cucumbers, melons, and pumpkins that grow as vines
  • noun
  • /ɡʊrd ˈfæmɪli/
  • Specialized
translation icon : familia de las cucurbitáceas
  • The gourd family includes popular vegetables like pumpkin, cucumber, and zucchini.

Examples

  • Botanists classify melons as part of the gourd family.

  • Many members of the gourd family have tendrils that help them climb.

  • The gourd family includes various edible plants.

  • Did you know that cucumbers belong to the gourd family?

  • The squash is a popular vegetable from the gourd family that is often used in soups.

  • Pumpkins, a member of the gourd family, are commonly carved for Halloween celebrations.

  • Watermelons, which belong to the gourd family, are refreshing fruits enjoyed in the summer.

Synonyms

Cucurbitaceae
vsgourd family
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of plants that includes cucumbers, melons, squashes and pumpkins

is the common everyday name rather than the scientific label

Surface Forms

gourd family singular
gourd families plural

Morphology

gourd + family

The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'gourd' (a type of vine-forming plant) with 'family' (a grouping of related species), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes the taxonomic group of gourds. This compositional noun phrase follows common cross-linguistic patterns (modifier + category) and is therefore transparent to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Gourd family comes from gourd, the hard, squash-like fruit people once used as cups or bottles, and family, meaning a 'group' of related plants, so the phrase gives a clear picture of similar plants together. That's why gourd family today means the group of vine plants like pumpkins, cucumbers, and melons that are all kinds of gourds.