Cantaloupe
/ˈkæn.tə.luːp/noun
A melon with a ribbed rind and sweet orange flesh.
Did you know?Cantaloupe entered English from French, ultimately named after Cantalupo in Italy, where the melon was cultivated in papal gardens rather than from any hidden magical meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
cantus
“song; singing”
Old French
Old French
cantaloup
“a cantaloupe-type melon”
Italian
Italian
Cantalupo
“the place name Cantalupo, especially the papal estate near Rome”
17th Century
English
cantaloup
“a melon cultivated in Europe and imported into English from French”
Modern English
English
cantaloupe
“a sweet melon with orange flesh and a netted or ribbed rind”
Explore more surprising origins