pumpkin
UK[ˈpʌmpkɪn]US[ˈpʌmpkɪn]
n
a large round vegetable with thick orange skin and many seeds inside, often used in cooking and for making jack-o'-lanterns at halloween.
Etymology
the word 'pumpkin' entered english in the mid-17th century, derived from the obsolete french word 'pompon'. this french term itself came from the latin 'pepō', meaning a kind of large melon, which was borrowed from the greek 'pepōn', signifying a large, ripe melon. the greek root 'pepōn' is an adjective meaning 'ripened', 'cooked by the sun', derived from the verb 'pessō' (to cook, ripen). the transformation from 'pepōn' to 'pumpkin' illustrates a common linguistic journey where a classical term for a sun-ripened gourd was adapted through romance languages, eventually settling into english with its spelling and sound shaped by folk etymology and association with the word 'pump'.
Analysis
the word 'pumpkin' is a simplex loanword. it does not contain separable morphemes within its modern english spelling.
Examples
she baked a delicious pumpkin pie for the thanksgiving dinner.
the children carved a funny face into the bright orange pumpkin.
this recipe calls for two cups of pureed pumpkin.