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winter melon vine

winter melon vine

6.3
A climbing plant that grows large smooth fruits used in Asian cooking
  • noun
translation icon : planta de melón de invierno
  • The winter melon vine sprawled across the garden fence, bearing several large fruits by midsummer.

Examples

  • Many farmers cultivate the winter melon vine for its nutritious fruit.

  • The winter melon vine grows rapidly in warm climates.

  • Farmers recommend planting winter melon vine in well-drained soil for optimal growth.

  • She learned to cook soup using fresh winter melon vine harvested from her backyard.

  • Farmers recommend planting winter melon vine in well-drained soil for optimal growth.

  • Many farmers cultivate the winter melon vine for its nutritious fruit.

  • The winter melon vine sprawled across the garden fence, bearing several large fruits by midsummer.

Synonyms

winter melon
vswinter melon vine
4.4

A large green fruit with pale flesh used in Asian cooking or the plant that makes it

focuses on the cultivated climbing plant that produces this fruit
Cucumis melo inodorus
vswinter melon vine
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of melons with smooth white skin and pale flesh that have little or no strong musky smell

is the specific cultivated climbing plant used especially in Asian cooking
melon vine
vswinter melon vine
3.9

A climbing plant that grows melons like watermelons or cantaloupes

is specific to a cultivated climbing plant for a smooth pale fruit used in Asia

Surface Forms

Morphology

winter + melon + vine

The phrase is fully compositional: 'winter melon' denotes a type of melon and 'vine' denotes a climbing plant, so 'winter melon vine' is predictably a vine that produces winter melons. This standard noun-noun composition is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can infer the referent (even if they might not know culinary specifics).

Etymology

Winter melon vine names the climbing plant that grows the large winter melon. These melons keep well and were stored for use in the cold months, so people called the fruit a 'winter melon' and the plant became known as the vine that bears it.