Citrullus
|Ci-trul-lus|
🇺🇸
/sɪˈtrʌləs/
🇬🇧
/sɪˈtrʊləs/
small citron → genus of watermelon
Etymology
'Citrullus' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'citrullus', a diminutive form of 'citrus' (citron), where the root referred to a citrus-like fruit.
'Citrullus' appears in Medieval and New Latin to name melon- or citron-like fruits and was later adopted as the formal botanical genus name in modern taxonomy (New Latin/Latinized scientific nomenclature).
Initially it meant 'little citron' or a citron-like fruit, but over time it came to be used specifically for the genus that includes the watermelon.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a genus of flowering plants in the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae) that includes the watermelon (notably Citrullus lanatus) and related melon-like species.
Citrullus lanatus is the species commonly cultivated as the watermelon.
Synonyms
Noun 2
in broader or historical usage, a melony or citron-like fruit referred to by the Latin name 'Citrullus'.
Ancient texts sometimes used the term Citrullus to describe various melon-like fruits.
Last updated: 2025/11/10 08:22