Definition

Noun 1. A type of muskmelon fruit: A melon characterized by a tan or golden rind covered with a raised, corky, net-like pattern (reticulation). It has sweet, typically orange or green flesh and a strong, sweet aroma. 2. The plant producing this fruit: A vine (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus) that bears this type of melon.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Fruit):

  • For dessert, we had slices of fresh netted melon.
  • The key to picking a ripe netted melon is to smell the stem end for a sweet fragrance.
  • The netted melon at the market had perfect webbing on its skin.

• Noun (Plant):

  • The netted melon vines are spreading rapidly across the garden trellis.

Advanced Usage

• The term "netted melon" is often used in botanical, agricultural, or culinary contexts to specify this particular variety of muskmelon, distinguishing it from smooth-skinned varieties like honeydew or canary melons.
• In common everyday language, especially in North America, this fruit is more frequently called a "cantaloupe", although true botanical cantaloupes ( var. ) have a rough, warty rind, not a netted one.

Variants and Related Words

• Muskmelon: The broader category of melons to which the netted melon belongs. All netted melons are muskmelons, but not all muskmelons are netted.
• Cantaloupe (Common U.S. usage): A frequent synonym for netted melon in everyday speech.
• Reticulated melon: A more formal or descriptive synonym emphasizing the net-like ("reticulated") skin pattern.

Synonyms

• Cantaloupe (in common parlance)
• Reticulated melon
• Sweet melon

Notes on Meaning

• The primary meaning refers to the fruit itself, defined by its distinctive netted rind and sweet, aromatic flesh.
• The secondary meaning refers to the vine that produces this fruit.
• The term is descriptive, directly referencing the most obvious visual characteristic of the fruit's skin.

Noun

1. the fruit of a variety of muskmelon vine; a melon with netlike markings and deep green flesh
2. a muskmelon vine with fruit that has a thin reticulated rind and sweet green flesh