Cantaloupes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of muskmelon with a sweet, orange, fleshy interior and a netted skin
2. Often enjoyed fresh in fruit salads or as a refreshing snack
3. Widely cultivated in warm climates and popular during summer months

Etymology: "Cantaloupes" is the plural of "cantaloupe," and the name points to a small town near Rome. Cantalupo in Sabina was a former papal summer estate, and it was there that melons, newly introduced to Europe, were first grown. The Italian place name came from "canto" and "lupo," which together mean "howl of the wolf," though the wolf part is a folk-style reading of the town's name rather than a documented meaning of the place. The melon took its name from that estate, passed into French as "cantaloup," and then into English. The fruit was grown in warm climates and became a summer favourite, so the word carries a memory of Italian gardens in its sound.

Synonyms: melons, fruits, galia, rockmelons