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noun B1 Intermediate Uncommon

cucumber

KYOO-kuhm-buh

Cucumber (noun) means a long green vegetable with crisp white flesh, grown on a vine. Example: “She sliced cucumber into the salad.”

noun
1
A long green vegetable with crisp white flesh, grown on a vine.
"She sliced cucumber into the salad."
"Cucumbers are mostly water, which makes them refreshing in summer."
2
Someone who stays calm and unruffled under pressure.
"He stayed cool as a cucumber during the interview."

How to use cucumber

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA crunchy green salad vegetable, also used in the phrase "cool as a cucumber" for someone calm under pressure.

Common pairings
cool as a cucumber cucumber sandwich sliced cucumber

Word forms

cucumbers plural

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Test yourself on “cucumber” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

She sliced _____ into the salad.

Etymology

From Old French cocombre, from Latin cucumis, of uncertain earlier origin.

Origin: Latin

cuke cucumber vine

Rhymes for cucumber

See all rhymes for cucumber →

Frequently asked questions

What does “cucumber” mean?

The word “cucumber” means a long green vegetable with crisp white flesh, grown on a vine. In plain terms, a crunchy green salad vegetable, also used in the phrase "cool as a cucumber" for someone calm under pressure.

How do you pronounce “cucumber”?

“Cucumber” is pronounced KYOO-kuhm-buh (/ˈkjuˌkʌmbɚ/ in IPA).

How do you use “cucumber” in a sentence?

Here is “cucumber” used in a sentence: “She sliced cucumber into the salad.”

What part of speech is “cucumber”?

“Cucumber” is a noun.

Where does the word “cucumber” come from?

The word “cucumber” comes from Latin. From Old French cocombre, from Latin cucumis, of uncertain earlier origin.

Is “cucumber” a common word?

“Cucumber” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

How many meanings does “cucumber” have?

“Cucumber” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a long green vegetable with crisp white flesh, grown on a vine.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial