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melon vine

melon vine

3.9
A climbing plant that grows melons like watermelons or cantaloupes
  • noun
  • /ˈmɛlən vaɪn/
translation icon : planta de melón
  • During summer, the melon vine produced juicy watermelons that were perfect for picnics.

Examples

  • The gardener trained the melon vine to grow along the trellis for better sunlight exposure.

  • To ensure a good harvest, he carefully watered the melon vine every morning.

  • It was a self-centered, stupid, arrogant, inconsiderate thing to do, and if you ever try it again, I'll use you to fertilize the melon vines.

    Fiction book (1994)

Synonyms

Cucumis melo
vsmelon vine
  • Specialized
8.1

A vine that makes sweet melons like cantaloupe or honeydew

is the broader term covering many vine plants that bear such fruits
sweet melon vine
vsmelon vine
4.1

A vine that grows sweet melons with a netted rind, like cantaloupe

is broader and includes other vine types beyond these sweet varieties
Cucumis melo reticulatus
vsmelon vine
  • Specialized
9.9

A melon with a net-like skin and sweet green flesh that people eat

is more general, covering other vine varieties beyond this specific one
Cucumis melo cantalupensis
vsmelon vine
  • Specialized
7.5

A type of melon with rough tan skin and sweet orange flesh

is the general name for all vines that produce these edible fruits
cantaloup vine
vsmelon vine
  • US
5.8

A climbing plant that grows round melons with orange flesh

is broader, applying to many climbing or trailing gourd plants
cantaloupe vine
vsmelon vine
3.4

A plant that grows round melons with rough tan skin and orange flesh

is broader, applying to many climbing or trailing gourd plants
watermelon vine
vsmelon vine
3.0

A climbing or trailing plant that grows a large green fruit with red inside

is a wider category that includes this species among others
winter melon vine
vsmelon vine
6.3

A climbing plant that grows large smooth fruits used in Asian cooking

is broader and focuses on vines that also include musky aromatic types
Momordica charantia
vsmelon vine
  • Specialized
9.9

A tropical vine that makes a bitter yellow-orange fruit called bitter melon

is different, centring on sweet edible fruit vines rather than bitter gourds

How Mature

matured
2.6
melon vine
3.9
seedling
20 2.8

Surface Forms

melon vine singular
melon vines plural

Morphology

melon + vine

The meaning 'a vine that produces melons' is directly and compositionally derived from 'melon' (a fruit) + 'vine' (a trailing/climbing plant), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the referent. This noun–noun compounding is a regular, cross-linguistically common pattern and therefore highly predictable and transparent.

Etymology

Melon vine shows a simple picture: a melon growing on a long climbing vine that trails over the ground or a fence. That's why melon vine means 'a plant that produces melons'.