melon

 
Pronunciation: /ˈmɛlən/

noun

  • 1the large round fruit of a plant of the gourd family, with sweet pulpy flesh and many seeds: a ripe melon will smell sweet a slice of melon
  • (melons) informal a woman’s breasts.
  • 2the Old World plant which yields the melon.
    • Cucumis melo subsp. melo, family Cucurbitaceae: many varieties
  • 3 Zoology a waxy mass in the head of dolphins and other toothed whales, thought to focus acoustic signals.

Origin:

late Middle English: via Old French from late Latin melo, melon-, contraction of Latin melopepo, from Greek mēlopepōn, from mēlon 'apple' + pepōn 'gourd'