ペポかぼちゃ

ペ

ポ

か

ぼ

ちゃ

Meanings

noun

Cucurbita pepo; pumpkin and squash species

usually written using kana alone

Refers to the botanical species Cucurbita pepo, which includes many common pumpkins, squashes, and zucchinis. Used in gardening, cooking, and botanical contexts.

ペポかぼちゃにはズッキーニやおもちゃかぼちゃが含ふくまれる。
Cucurbita pepo includes zucchini and ornamental gourds.
このペポかぼちゃの品ひん種しゅは煮に物ものに向むいている。
This variety of Cucurbita pepo is suitable for simmered dishes.

Kanji

南south
瓜melon

Related words

かぼちゃ
かぼちゃ is the general term for pumpkin/squash, often referring to the Japanese kabocha (Cucurbita maxima). ペポかぼちゃ is a specific botanical species.
ズッキーニ
ズッキーニ is a well-known cultivar of Cucurbita pepo, but ペポかぼちゃ is the broader species name.

Written forms

ペポカボチャUsage100%
kana-only spelling
Full katakana spelling, also used. The reading is normalized to hiragana for consistency.
ペポ南瓜かぼちゃ
Kanji spelling using 南瓜 for 'pumpkin/squash'. Rarely used; the kana forms are strongly preferred.

Etymology

From ペポ (pepo, from the species name Cucurbita pepo) + かぼちゃ (pumpkin/squash). The term is a direct borrowing of the botanical Latin name combined with the Japanese word for squash.