Melon

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Melon \Mel"on\ (m[e^]l"[u^]n), n. [F., fr. L. melo, for melopepo
     an apple-shaped melon, Gr. mhlope`pwn; mh^lon apple + pe`pwn
     a species of large melon; cf. L. malum apple. Cf.
     {Marmalade}.]
     [1913 Webster]
     1. (Bot.) The juicy fruit of certain cucurbitaceous plants,


        as the muskmelon, watermelon, and citron melon; also, the
        plant that produces the fruit.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool.) A large, ornamental, marine, univalve shell of the
        genus {Melo}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Melon beetle} (Zool.), a small leaf beetle ({Diabrotiea
        vittata}), which damages the leaves of melon vines.
  
     {Melon cactus}, {Melon thistle}.
        (a) (Bot.) A genus of cactaceous plants ({Melocactus})
            having a fleshy and usually globose stem with the
            surface divided into spiny longitudinal ridges, and
            bearing at the top a prickly and woolly crown in which
            the small pink flowers are half concealed. {Melocactus
            communis}, from the West Indies, is often cultivated,
            and sometimes called {Turk's cap}.
        (b) The related genus {Mamillaria}, in which the stem is
            tubercled rather than ribbed, and the flowers
            sometimes large. See Illust. under {Cactus}.
            [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  melon
       n 1: any of numerous fruits of the gourd family having a hard
            rind and sweet juicy flesh
       2: any of various fruit of cucurbitaceous vines including:
          muskmelons; watermelons; cantaloupes; cucumbers [syn: {melon
          vine}]