squirting cucumber
- noun
- /ˈskwɜrtɪŋ ˈkʌkəmbər/
:
pepino explosivo
- The squirting cucumber amazed the children when its fruit exploded at their touch.
Examples
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Botanists studied the unique seed dispersal mechanism of the squirting cucumber.
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In Mediterranean gardens, the squirting cucumber is sometimes grown for its unusual fruit.
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The squirting cucumber is fascinating to watch.
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Have you ever seen a squirting cucumber before?
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In Mediterranean gardens, the squirting cucumber is sometimes grown for its unusual fruit.
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The squirting cucumber amazed the children when its fruit exploded at their touch.
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Botanists studied the unique seed dispersal mechanism of the squirting cucumber.
Synonyms
A Mediterranean vine with oblong fruit that bursts to shoot out seeds and juice when ripe
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 modifier+noun composition: 'squirting' (ejecting liquid forcefully) describes 'cucumber' (a green fruit), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a cucumber that squirts its contents. This is a literal, non-idiomatic description following regular English patterns, making the meaning predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Squirting cucumber is named for a real plant whose long, cucumber-like fruit suddenly shoots out seeds and juice when it is ripe or touched. So the words squirting (shooting out liquid) and cucumber (the shape of the fruit) describe the plant that 'ejects seeds and liquid' in a quick spray.
