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winter squash
noun
: any of various hard-shelled squashes (such as acorn squash, cushaw, or Hubbard squash) that can be stored for several months and belong to cultivars of several cucurbit species (especially Cucurbita maxima, C. moschata, and C. pepo)
Examples of winter squash in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Chicken skin crisps to a brittle chip, and whole winter squash willingly yield to being pried open.
—Ali Slagle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024
Cuts of pork, beef and chicken meld in a stew with plantains, rounds of corn on the cob, winter squash and yautia, a root vegetable sometimes called malanga.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024
The method here doesn’t bother with cutting rock-hard raw winter squash.
—Ali Slagle, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2024
Whole parsley leaves are tossed with mixed chicories, slices of pickled winter squash, and an apple cider vinaigrette for nice palate-cleansing acidity.
—Sunset Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024
Embrace such seeds as sunflower, pumpkin and winter squash (i.e. butternut) in granola, cookies, muffins, cakes and brittle.
—Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 28 Nov. 2023
How about winter squash, plantains, yams or carrots?
—Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 15 Feb. 2024
As a bonus, winter squash—while typically mild in flavor—is packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
—Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2023
Oats pair especially well with savory ingredients that can stand up to the grain’s deep, earthy flavor — mushrooms, onions, root vegetables (carrots, beets, parsnips and celery root), peppers, winter squash, herbs and sharp cheeses, for example.
—Ellie Krieger, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'winter squash.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1771, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near winter squash
Cite this Entry
“Winter squash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/winter%20squash. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
winter squash
noun
: any of various hard-shelled squashes (as an acorn squash) that keep well in storage
More from Merriam-Webster on winter squash
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about winter squash
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