Spanish word

melón

Pronunciation

IPA/meˈlon/

Meaning

  • masculine nounmelon

Example

¿Quieres melón?

Would you like some melon?

Illustration for melón (melon)

More examples

Traje un melón para el postre.

I brought a melon for dessert.

Core concept

Large round fruit with a firm rind and very sweet, juicy flesh.

Common phrases

  • un melón entero

    whole melon

  • servir melón

    serve melon

  • postre de melón

    dessert made with melon

Similar words

sandía: Very large fruit with a thick green rind and bright red, watery flesh.
fruta: Edible part of a plant, typically sweet and eaten raw.
cantalupo: Type of fruit with a netted rind and aromatic orange, sweet flesh.

Definition in Spanish

Fruta de pulpa dulce y muy jugosa, de tamaño medio a grande y con piel relativamente dura, que se consume preferentemente fresca.

Word origin

It comes from Ancient Greek mēlopépon (mēlon 'fruit' + pépon 'ripe gourd'), via Latin melopeponem into Spanish melón.

Usage tips

  • At markets ask '¿Está maduro?' to check ripeness, and note that the word is stressed on the final syllable and written with an acute accent in the singular (plural melones drops the accent).

Word lists with this word