Cucumis
/ˈkuː.kʊ.mɪs/noun
A Latin word for a cucumber or gourd; also the genus name for cucumbers and melons.
Did you know?Latin cucumis gave English the scientific genus name Cucumis, but its deeper origin is uncertain, which makes it one of those ancient plant words that survived without ever fully giving up its secret.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Latin
Latin
cucumis
“cucumber; gourd”
Late Latin
Latin
cucumer-
“stem form used in botanical and later learned vocabulary”
Old French
Old French
cocombre
“cucumber”
Middle English
English
cucumer
“cucumber, especially in learned or borrowed forms”
Modern English
English
cucumber
“a long green edible fruit of the gourd family”