cucumiform

• cucumeriform (mycology, rare)

First attested in a glossary in 1826, in a fragment in 1838, and in a grammatical sentence in 1892; formed by the suffixation of cucumi-, the short i-stem of the Latin cucumis (“cucumber”), with the English -form; compare the earlier New Latin cucumeriformis (1703), cucumiformis (1791) and French cucumeriforme (1777), cucumiforme (1804).

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: kyo͞okyo͞oʹmĭfôrm, IPA^(key): /kjuːˈkjuːmɪfɔːm/

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cucumiform (comparative more cucumiform, superlative most cucumiform)

1. Shaped like a cucumber; having the form of a cylinder tapered and rounded at the ends, and possibly curved.
   • 1826, William Kirby, William Spence, An Introduction to Entomology‎, volume IV, page 265:

     Cucumiform (Cucumiformis). Cucumber-shaped. Whose longitudinal section is oblong, and transverse circular.

   • 1955, William Gaddis, The Recognitions, Harcourt, Brace, page 329:

     She was there, tumbling the marvelous cucumiform weights down upon a chest which looked as though it would cave in under such manna.

   • 2011, Terry Pratchett,, Snuff: Discworld Novel 39‎, page 17:

     Uncharacteristically for him, Lord Vetinari laughed out loud. He very nearly gloated at the downfall of his enemy and slammed his copy of the Ankh-Morpork Times, open at the crossword page, on to his desk. ‘Cucumiform, shaped like a cucumber or a variety of squash! l thumb my nose at you, madam!’

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:cucumiform.

• cucumber

• “Cucumiform, a.” listed on page 1,237 of volume II (C) of A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles
    Cucumiform (kiukiū·mifǭɹm), a. rare.^—⁰  Of the shape of a cucumber.  1860 Worcester cites Maunder.
• “cucumiform, a.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary