winter squash

IPA/ˌwɪn.tə ˈskwɒʃ/
IPA/ˌwɪn.t̬ɚ ˈskwɑːʃ/

winter squash — noun

1. a type of squash with a tough outer skin, picked in autumn, that can be kept for

1.nounB1
Definition

a type of squash with a tough outer skin, picked in autumn, that can be kept for months without spoiling

Example

Noa roasted a winter squash with olive oil and fresh rosemary for dinner.

roast + winter squash as a main dish

At the market, Reuben chose a heavy winter squash with a deep green rind.

Common collocations
  • roast winter squash
  • store winter squash
  • diced winter squash
  • harvest winter squash
Antonyms
  • summer squash

    harvested young with soft, edible skin; spoils quickly

Usage Note

Contrasts with summer squash, which has a soft, edible skin and does not store well.

Word family

  • squash
    nounB1
  • summer squash
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Winter squash, pumpkin, gourd, and summer squash are all members of the squash family, but they serve different purposes in the kitchen. Winter squash (like butternut and acorn) has hard, thick skin and sweet, dense flesh — it is harvested in autumn and stored for months. Pumpkin is technically a type of winter squash, but the word usually brings to mind the round, orange variety used for Halloween carving and pumpkin pie. Gourd refers to hard-shelled squash varieties grown mainly for crafts and decoration, not for eating. Summer squash (such as zucchini) is the opposite: picked young while the skin is still soft and edible, and it must be eaten within days. If you slice open a winter squash, you expect firm orange flesh for roasting; if you slice open a summer squash, you expect pale, watery flesh for quick sautéing.

pumpkin ↗gourd ↗summer squash

Common collocations

Nouns

  • winter squash soup
  • winter squash variety

Etymology

English

The name comes from the fact that these squashes can be stored and eaten through the winter, unlike summer squashes which spoil quickly.

First known use

1771

1771, in the meaning defined above