cantaloupe

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Cantaloupe is one kind of melon, so melon is the broadest word in this group. Use cantaloupe when you mean the fruit with rough netted skin and orange flesh. Honeydew is another melon, but it has smoother skin and pale green flesh with a milder taste. Watermelon is much larger and much wetter inside, with red or pink flesh instead of orange. In everyday English, people choose cantaloupe when they want to name this smaller sweet melon exactly, especially in fruit salads, breakfast bowls, or chilled summer plates.

Common collocations

Etymology

Cantaloupe came into English through French from Cantalupo, the name of a place in Italy that became linked with this melon in Europe. In modern English, the word usually means a sweet melon with orange flesh, especially in North American use.