gourd
/guəd/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A plant: Any vine belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae that produces fruits with a hard, durable outer shell.
- A fruit: The inedible fruit of such a plant, characterized by its hard rind.
- A container: A bottle, dipper, or other vessel made from the dried and hollowed-out shell of such a fruit.
Usage
- The word "gourd" primarily refers to the plant or its fruit. When used to mean a container, it typically refers to an object crafted from the dried fruit.
- It is a countable noun (e.g., , ).
Examples
- As a plant:
- Farmers often grow gourds along fences.
- The gourd vine spread rapidly across the garden trellis.
- As a fruit:
- They decorated the porch with colorful dried gourds.
- The hard shell of the gourd protects the seeds inside.
- As a container:
- He drank water from a gourd.
- The traditional instrument was made from a large gourd.
Advanced Usage
- "Bottle gourd": A specific type of gourd () with a bottle-like shape, commonly used for making containers.
- The bottle gourd is also known as calabash.
Variants and Related Words
- Gourd family: Another name for the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes pumpkins, squash, melons, and cucumbers.
- Gourdy (adj., rare): Resembling or characteristic of a gourd.
Synonyms
- Calabash: Often used interchangeably with "gourd," especially for the container or the bottle gourd plant.
- Squash / Pumpkin: These are related edible members of the gourd family, but "gourd" typically refers to inedible, hard-shelled varieties.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- "Out of one's gourd" (slang): To be crazy or irrational.
- He must be out of his gourd to try that stunt. (Note: This is an idiomatic, figurative use separate from the literal meaning of the word.)
Noun
- any vine of the family Cucurbitaceae that bears fruits with hard rinds
- any of numerous inedible fruits with hard rinds
- bottle made from the dried shell of a bottle gourd