Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “cucumber” come from?

Cucumber comes from Middle English cucumber, from Old French cocombre, from Latin cucumis, ultimately from Latin cucuma.

cucumber (English): A vine in the gourd family, "Cucumis sativus";...

Definitions

  1. A vine in the gourd family, "Cucumis sativus";...

Ancestry of “cucumber”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishcucumer—
2Old Frenchcocombrecucumber
3LatincucumisArmenian cucumber, snake melon, vegetable melon,...
4Sumerian𒄾fat-tailed sheep

Words derived from “cucumber”

  • cucumbery
  • cucumberlike
  • cucumberless
  • cucumberfish
  • ikhukhamba
  • kukamba
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