muskmelon

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a sweet, aromatic melon of the species Cucumis melo, including cantaloupes and related varieties

   Huck borrowed a ripe muskmelon from a field beside the river.

2. 2
   noun

   the trailing vine that produces a muskmelon

   The gardener trained each muskmelon along a low support.

A compound of musk + melon, named for the ripe fruit's musky fragrance. Dialectal mushmelon arose by alteration and is independently attested in American English.

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