Ecbalium Elaterium

Cucumber Cu"cum*ber (k?`k?m-b?r, formerly kou"k?m-b?r), n. [OE. cucumer, cocumber, cucumber, fr. L. cucmis, gen.cucumeris; cf. OF. cocombre,F. concombre.] (Bot.) A creeping plant, and its fruit, of several species of the genus {Cucumis}, esp. {Cucumis sativus}, the unripe fruit of which is eaten either fresh or picked. Also, similar plants or fruits of several other genera. See below. [1913 Webster]

{Bitter cucumber} (Bot.), the {Citrullus Colocynthis} syn. {Cucumis Colocynthis}. See {Colocynth}.

{Cucumber beetle.} (Zo["o]l.) (a) A small, black flea-beetle ({Crepidodera cucumeris}), which destroys the leaves of cucumber, squash, and melon vines. (b) The squash beetle.

{Cucumber tree}. (a) A large ornamental or shade tree of the genus {Magnolia} {(Magnolia acuminata)}, so called from a slight resemblance of its young fruit to a small cucumber. (b) An East Indian plant ({Averrhoa Bilimbi}) which produces the fruit known as bilimbi.

{Jamaica cucumber}, {Jerusalem cucumber}, the prickly-fruited gherkin ({Cucumis Anguria}).

{Snake cucumber}, a species ({Cucumis flexuosus}) remarkable for its long, curiously-shaped fruit.

{Squirting cucumber}, a plant ({Ecbalium Elaterium}) whose small oval fruit separates from the footstalk when ripe and expels its seeds and juice with considerable force through the opening thus made. See {Elaterium}.

{Star cucumber}, a climbing weed ({Sicyos angulatus}) with prickly fruit. [1913 Webster]