cucumber

English
cucumbers (2)

Alternative forms

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈkjuːˌkʌmbɚ/
  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkjuːˌkʌmbə/
  • (obsolete) IPA(key): /ˈkaʊˌkʌmbəɹ/[1][2]
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Homophone: Qcumber

Noun

cucumber (plural cucumbers)

  1. A vine in the gourd family, Cucumis sativus.
    • 1767, A Lady [Hannah Glasse], The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Eaſy […] ‎, page 326:
      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.
  2. The edible fruit of this plant, having a green rind and crisp white flesh.
    Synonyms: (informal) cuke, (colloquial) cumber
    • 1785, James Boswell, quoting Samuel Johnson, Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with Samuel Johnſon […] ‎, London: Henry Baldwin, page 356:
      […] 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.
    • 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Publishing”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 14:
      "Why, pepper and salt your reasons!" cried Curl, forgetting to look at the door for a moment: "your pamphlet has talent; but talent is like a cucumber, nothing without the dressing. You must be more personal."
  3. A person who is calm and self-possessed.
    • 1986, Linking Technology and Users, page 41:
      Just a few tips will help even the most anxious of us get a bit of control over the presentation of information and thus appear to be that "cool cucumber" in cognito!
    • 1999, Mark Grantham, The Brewery, page 275:
      The guy's a real cucumber.
    • 2002, Margaret Fisher, Putting on Mock Trials, page 29:
      That Wolf is one cool cucumber.
    • 2018, Derek B. Miller, American By Day, page 65:
      "You're smart," says Irv, pointing at her and nodding his head. "A smart cucumber."

Coordinate terms

Derived terms
Affixed and blended forms
Expressions with this term somehow
Expressions with this term at the beginning
Expressions with this term at the middle or end

Translations

References
  1. “Cucumber” in John Walker, A Critical Pronouncing Dictionary […] , London: Sold by G. G. J. and J. Robinſon, Paternoſter Row; and T. Cadell, in the Strand, 1791, →OCLC.
  2. Hall, Joseph Sargent (1942 March 2) “1. The Vowel Sounds of Stressed Syllables”, in The Phonetics of Great Smoky Mountain Speech (American Speech: Reprints and Monographs; 4), New York: King's Crown Press, →DOI, →ISBN, § 10, page 38.

Further reading

Middle English

Noun

cucumber

  1. Alternative form of cucumer
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