exploding cucumber
- noun
:
pepino explosivo
- The exploding cucumber is famous for dispersing its seeds by shooting them out forcefully when ripe.
Examples
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Gardeners are often surprised when the fruit of the exploding cucumber bursts suddenly upon being touched.
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Scientists have studied the mechanism by which the exploding cucumber propels its seeds several meters away.
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The exploding cucumber surprised everyone at the picnic.
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Have you ever seen an exploding cucumber?
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Gardeners are often surprised when the fruit of the exploding cucumber bursts suddenly upon being touched.
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The exploding cucumber is famous for dispersing its seeds by shooting them out forcefully when ripe.
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Scientists have studied the unique ability of the exploding cucumber to eject its seeds several meters away.
Synonyms
A vine with long oval fruit that shoots out seeds and juice when ripe and touched
A plant from the Mediterranean like a cucumber whose fruit bursts and throws out seeds and juice
A Mediterranean plant like a cucumber whose fruit bursts to scatter seeds
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is a straightforward combination of 'exploding' (bursting suddenly) + 'cucumber' (the vegetable), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a cucumber that bursts or ejects contents. This compositional, descriptive pattern is common and predictable across languages, so the meaning is immediately recoverable for a B1 learner.
Etymology
The name exploding cucumber, from exploding and cucumber, comes from the plant's way of behaving: when the ripe fruit is touched it suddenly bursts and throws out seeds and juice. That's why the name means a plant that 'shoots its seeds out' to spread them.
