gourd
UK[ɡʊəd]US[ɡɔːrd]
n
a fruit with a hard outer shell, often dried and used as a container or for decoration.
n
the plant that produces this fruit.
Etymology
the word "gourd" entered english in the 14th century via the old french "gourde," which originated from the latin "cucurbita." this latin term was the standard word for the gourd plant and its fruit. the journey of the word likely ends there for english, as "cucurbita" is not traced back to a clear proto-indo-european root, suggesting it may be a very old, possibly pre-latin, mediterranean substrate word for the plant. the modern english meaning has remained remarkably consistent, referring directly to the hard-shelled fruit and the vine that produces it, a testament to its stable adoption as a specific botanical term.
Analysis
this word is a loanword from old french, which itself came from latin. its spelling and form have been borrowed as a whole unit into english.
Examples
he hollowed out the dried gourd to use as a water dipper.
the garden was filled with vines bearing various shapes and sizes of gourds.
they decorated the autumn table with colorful painted gourds.