Search Dictionary
Definition of wax gourd
wax gourd
Plural:wax gourds
wax gourd Lexical Profile
CEFR
C1
Grade
9
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A large, elongated vine fruit (Benincasa hispida) native to South and Southeast Asia, characterized by a white, waxy coating on its skin when mature and widely cooked as a vegetable in Asian cuisines.
Example
"The chef simmered chunks of wax gourd in the pork broth until they became tender and translucent."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for wax gourd• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The name is derived from the distinct white, powdery, wax-like coating that develops on the skin of the mature fruit to protect it from microorganisms and help preserve it for long periods. 'Gourd' stems from the Old French 'coorde', originating from the Latin 'cucurbita'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Wax gourd. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/wax gourd