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muskmelon

 - 3 dictionary results

musk⋅mel⋅on

[muhsk-mel-uhn]
–noun
1. a round or oblong melon, occurring in many varieties, having a juicy, often aromatic, sweet, yellow, white, or green, edible flesh.
2. the plant, Cucumis melo reticulatus, of the gourd family, bearing this fruit.
3. cantaloupe (def. 1).
Also, mushmelon.


Origin:
1565–75; musk + melon
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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musk·mel·on   (mŭsk'měl'ən)   
n.  
  1. Any of several varieties of the melon Cucumis melo, such as the cantaloupe, having fruit characterized by a netted rind and edible flesh with a musky aroma.

  2. The fruit of any of these plants.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

muskmelon

any of the strongly netted-rind melons of the Reticulatus group of the common melon (species Cucumis melo), in the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. Muskmelons are noted for their sweet, juicy, musky-scented, orange flesh, which accounts for their ranking as probably the most important commercial melons. In North America these melons are sometimes inaccurately referred to as cantaloupe, a term that should properly be reserved for melons of the Cantalupensis group. See also melon.

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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