gourd family: Meaning and Definition of

gourd' fam"ily

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. the plant family Cucurbitaceae, characterized by tendril-bearing vines, either trailing or climbing and having alternate, palmately lobed leaves, often large yellow or greenish flowers, and many-seeded, fleshy fruit with a hard rind, and including the cucumber, gourd, melon, pumpkin, and squash.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.