Squash (noun)
Pronunciation: [skwahsh]
Definition: (1) A vine or plant of the genus Cucurbita whose fruit has leathery, bumpy outer coat, a fleshy inner layer than is edible, and seeds that are sometimes baked and eaten as nuts.
Usage: At the time the first English settlers came to New England, the word "pompion" was a general term for that whole assortment of vegetables we now call "squash" (see our word "pumpkin"). When settlers first encountered pumpkins, they were just considered another variety of pompion. The name for what we now call "pumpkin" was borrowed from the Narragansett or Wampanoag word "askútasquash." Somehow, over time, the words flipped and what had been "pompion" became "squash" and what had been "askútasquash" became "pumpkin."
Suggested Usage: Today's word is actually a reduction of "squanter-squash," the original attempt by European settlers at the Narragansett word. The orange-yellow (winter) squash are rich in Vitamins A & C and fiber. The most unusual squash may be spaghetti squash, with flesh comprised of long, soft fibers resembling spaghetti. If we were to say, "Mommy, Darren squashed the squash with his squash racket," are we repeating ourselves? As the etymology shows, we wouldn't be.
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