winter melon
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Tweet n. 1. a. A tendril-bearing, sprawling annual plant (Benincasa hispida) widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical Asia for its waxy-skinned edible fruit. b. The fruit of this plant, often cooked as a vegetable or boiled and sweetened as a confection. Also called wax gourd. 2. Any of several varieties of melon (Cucumis melo) usually having a smooth hard rind and including the honeydew melon and the crenshaw. [Translation of Chinese (Mandarin) dōngguā : dōng, winter + guā, melon (because it keeps well and can be eaten in winter although grown in summer).] |
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