[pump.kin] n, often attrib [alter. of earlier pumpion, modif. of F popon, pompon melon, pumpkin, fr. L pepon-, pepo, fr. Gk pepon, fr. pepon ripened; akin to Gk pessein to cook, ripen--more at cook] (1654) 1 a: the usu. round orange fruit of a vine (Cucurbita pepo) of the gourd family widely cultivated as food b: winter crookneck c Brit: any of various large-fruited winter squashes (C. maxima)
2: a usu. hairy prickly vine that produces pumpkins