Meanings
plural colocynths · alternative colocynthis
- countableuncountableA viny plant, of species Citrullus colocynthis, native to the Mediterranean Basin and Asia. It produces a lemon-sized, yellowish, green-mottled, spongy, and extremely bitter fruit.
Synonyms: bitter apple, bitter cucumber, bitter melon, egusi, vine of Sodom, desert gourd
- countableuncountableThe powdered pulp of this fruit, a powerful hepatic stimulant and hydragogue cathartic used as a strong laxative.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA viny plant, of species Citrullus colocynthis, native to the Mediterranean Basin and Asia. It produces a lemon-sized, yellowish, green-mottled, spongy, and extremely bitter fruit.
Origin
- Pre-Greek
- Ancient Greekκολοκυνθίς
- Latincolocynthis
- Englishcolocynth
From Latin colocynthis, from Ancient Greek κολοκυνθίς (kolokunthís), ultimately Pre-Greek.
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek, Pre-Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic حَنْظَل, عَلْقَم
- حَنْظَل (ḥanẓal)plant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
- عَلْقَم (ʕalqam)plant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
Catalan coloquinta
- coloquintaplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
Czech kolokvinta obecná
- kolokvinta obecnáplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
Finnish kolokvintti
- kolokvinttiplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
French coloquinte
- coloquinteplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
German Koloquinte, Pomaquinte
- Koloquinteplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
- Pomaquinteplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
- Purgiergurkeplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
- Bitterapfelplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
- Echte Zitrulleplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
- Teufelsapfelplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
- Koloquintenkürbisplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
Hebrew אֲבַטִּיחַ הַפַּקּוּעָה
- אֲבַטִּיחַ הַפַּקּוּעָה (ʾaḇaṭíaḥ ha-paqqūʿā)plant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
Persian کبست
- کبست (kabast)plant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
Polish kolokwinta
- kolokwintaplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
Portuguese colocíntida
- colocíntidaplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
Punjabi ਤੁੰਮਾ, ਕੌੜਤੁੰਮਾ
- ਤੁੰਮਾ (tummā)plant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
- ਕੌੜਤੁੰਮਾ (kauṛtummā)plant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
Russian колоци́нт, колокви́нт
- колоци́нт (kolocínt)plant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
- колокви́нт (kolokvínt)plant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
Spanish coloquíntida, tuera
- coloquíntidaplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
- tueraplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
Swedish kolokvint
- kolokvintplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
Turkish acı elma, ebücehil karpuzu
- acı elmaplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
- ebücehil karpuzuplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
- acıhıyarplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
- acıkavunplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
- it hıyarıplant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
Ukrainian колоци́нт, колокви́нт
- колоци́нт (kolocýnt)plant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
- колокви́нт (kolokvýnt)plant or fruit of the Citrullus colocynthis
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with colocynth
All rhymes →Cite this entry
colocynth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colocynth
“colocynth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colocynth. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “colocynth,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/colocynth.
Source: colocynth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.