Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of gourd: A hard-shelled fruit from certain tropical plants, particularly the calabash tree (Crescentia cujete) or bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria), often dried and used to make containers or objects.
   • A container or object made from this gourd: Such as a bottle, bowl, or musical instrument, crafted from the dried shell of the fruit.
   • A smoking pipe: A pipe for smoking tobacco, characterized by a curved stem and a large bowl made from a calabash gourd.
   • A plant producing such gourds: Refers to the tropical American evergreen tree (Crescentia cujete) or the Old World climbing vine (Lagenaria siceraria) that bears these hard-shelled, bottle-shaped fruits.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Fruit/Container):
  • The villagers used a dried calabash to carry water.
  • The round calabash is often used to make musical instruments like maracas.
• Noun (Pipe):
  • The detective was famously depicted smoking a calabash.
• Noun (Plant):
  • The calabash grows on a tree native to tropical America.

Advanced Usage

• "Calabash tree": Refers specifically to the tropical American tree .
  • The calabash tree produces large, spherical fruits.
• "Calabash bowl": A bowl made from the shell of the fruit.
  • She served the soup in a beautifully carved calabash bowl.

Variants and Related Words

• Calabash pipe (n): A specific type of smoking pipe with a curved stem and a gourd bowl.
  • He collects antique calabash pipes.
• Bottle gourd (n): Another common name for the plant and its fruit, often synonymous with calabash.
  • Bottle gourd is also cultivated for its edible young fruit.

Synonyms

• Gourd: A general term for the hard-shelled fruit of various vines, often used interchangeably with calabash.
• Dipper: A vessel for ladling liquid, which can be made from a calabash.

Related Phrases

• "Calabash of wisdom": A metaphorical or proverbial phrase in some cultures, representing a container of knowledge or tradition.
  • The elder spoke, drawing from the proverbial calabash of wisdom.

Related Idioms

• "To be as hollow as a calabash": An idiom suggesting something is empty or lacking substance.
  • His promises turned out to be as hollow as a calabash.

Noun

1. a pipe for smoking; has a curved stem and a large bowl made from a calabash gourd
2. bottle made from the dried shell of a bottle gourd
3. Old World climbing plant with hard-shelled bottle-shaped gourds as fruits
4. tropical American evergreen that produces large round gourds
5. round gourd of the calabash tree