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pepo

noun
pe·​po | \ ˈpē-(ˌ)pō How to pronounce pepo (audio) \
plural pepos

Definition of pepo

: an indehiscent fleshy one-celled many-seeded berry (such as a pumpkin, squash, melon, or cucumber) that has a hard rind and is the characteristic fruit of the gourd family

Examples of pepo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 Technically, squash and pumpkin all belong to the same species, known as Cucurbita pepo, but while all pumpkins are squash, not all squash are pumpkins, said Judy Jernstedt, a plant sciences professor with the University of California, Davis. — Robert Mcmillan, WSJ, "Your Pumpkin Pie Has a Dark Secret— It’s Made From Squash," 20 Nov. 2018 The big pumpkins, mini pumpkins, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, zucchini, and ornamental gourds are all different cultivars of the same species: Cucurbita pepo, which originated in Mexico more than 10,000 years ago. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "Pumpkin Is a Fruit and Everything We Know Is a Lie," 21 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pepo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of pepo

circa 1849, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for pepo

Latin, a melon — more at pumpkin

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More Definitions for pepo

pepo

noun
pe·​po | \ ˈpē-(ˌ)pō How to pronounce pepo (audio) \
plural pepos

Medical Definition of pepo

: the dried ripe seeds of the pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) used as an anthelmintic and taeniafuge

— called also pumpkin seed

More from Merriam-Webster on pepo

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pepo

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