cucumber

CEFRB1

/ˈkjuːˌkʌmbə/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A long green vegetable with crisp, watery flesh.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A person who is calm and self-possessed.

Examples

  • A cucumber is related to a watermelon.

  • The cucumber is bitter? Then throw it away!

At a glance

Sits at B1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
2

Also pronounced

  • [ˈkʰaʊ̯ˌkʰʌmbəɹ]
  • [ˈkʰjʊu̯ˌkʰʌmbə]

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. The edible fruit of this plant, having a green rind and crisp white flesh.

  2. A vine in the gourd family, Cucumis sativus.

More examples

In context

  • I was cool as a cucumber.

  • […]for it has been a common ſaying of phyſicians in England, that a cucumber ſhould be well ſliced, and dreſſed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out, as good for nothing.

  • ASPARAGUS, cauliflowers, imperial Sileſia, royal and cabbage lettuces, burnet, purſlain, cucumbers, naſturtian flowers, peaſe and beans ſown in October, artichokes, ſcarlet ſtrawberries, and kidney beans.

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The crunch of the fresh blank added texture to the sandwich.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

From Middle English cucumer, cucumber, from Old French cocombre, ultimately from Latin cucumis, cucumerem (possibly through an Old Occitan intermediate). Probably of Pre-Italic substrate origin. First attested in the late 14c. Displaced native English earthapple (see which for more), which has since acquired other senses.