cucumber
English edit
Alternative forms edit
- cumber (colloquial)
Etymology edit
From Middle English cucumer, cucumber, from Old French cocombre, ultimately from Latin cucumis, cucumerem (possibly through an Old Occitan intermediate). Probably of Pre-Italic substrate origin.
Pronunciation edit
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈkjuːˌkʌmbɚ/
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈkjuːˌkʌmbə/
- (obsolete) IPA(key): /ˈkaʊˌkʌmbəɹ/[1][2]
Audio (US) (file) - Homophone: Qcumber
Noun edit
cucumber (plural cucumbers)
- A vine in the gourd family, Cucumis sativus.
- 1767, A Lady [Hannah Glasse], The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Eaſy […] [1], page 326:
- ASPARAGUS, cauliflowers, imperial Sileſia, royal and cabbage lettuces, burnet, purſlain, cucumbers, naſturtian flowers, peaſe and beans ſown in October, artichokes, ſcarlet ſtrawberries, and kidney beans.
- The edible fruit of this plant, having a green rind and crisp white flesh.
- 1785, James Boswell, quoting Samuel Johnson, Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with Samuel Johnſon […] [2], London: Henry Baldwin, page 356:
- […] for it has been a common ſaying of phyſicians in England, that a cucumber ſhould be well ſliced, and dreſſed with pepper and vinegar, and then thrown out, as good for nothing.
- 1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Publishing”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 14:
- "Why, pepper and salt your reasons!" cried Curl, forgetting to look at the door for a moment: "your pamphlet has talent; but talent is like a cucumber, nothing without the dressing. You must be more personal."
- A person who is calm and self-possessed.
- 1986, Linking Technology and Users, page 41:
- Just a few tips will help even the most anxious of us get a bit of control over the presentation of information and thus appear to be that "cool cucumber" in cognito!
- 1999, Mark Grantham, The Brewery, page 275:
- The guy's a real cucumber.
- 2002, Margaret Fisher, Putting on Mock Trials, page 29:
- That Wolf is one cool cucumber.
- 2018, Derek B. Miller, American By Day, page 65:
- "You're smart," says Irv, pointing at her and nodding his head. "A smart cucumber."
Coordinate terms edit
Derived terms edit
Affixed and blended forms
Expressions with this term at the beginning
Expressions with this term at the middle or end
- aardvark cucumber
- Armenian cucumber
- bitter cucumber
- burr cucumber
- calm as a cucumber
- cool as a cucumber
- devil's cucumber
- exploding cucumber
- gemsbok cucumber
- maroon cucumber
- sea cucumber
- serpent cucumber
- slicing cucumber
- smacked cucumber
- snake cucumber
- spotted cucumber beetle
- squirting cucumber
- star cucumber
- striped cucumber beetle
- stuffing cucumber
- telegraph cucumber
- wild cucumber
- zombie's cucumber
Related terms edit
- cucumiform (cucumber-shaped)
Translations edit
plant
|
edible fruit
|
References edit
- ^ “Cucumber” in John Walker, A Critical Pronouncing Dictionary […] , London: Sold by G. G. J. and J. Robinſon, Paternoſter Row; and T. Cadell, in the Strand, 1791, →OCLC.
- ^ Hall, Joseph Sargent (March 2, 1942), “1. The Vowel Sounds of Stressed Syllables”, in The Phonetics of Great Smoky Mountain Speech (American Speech: Reprints and Monographs; 4), New York: King's Crown Press, , →ISBN, § 10, page 38.
Further reading edit
Middle English edit
Noun edit
cucumber
- Alternative form of cucumer