\Cu"cum*ber\ (k?`k?m-b?r, formerly kou"k?m-b?r), n.[OE.
cucumer, cocumber, cucumber, fr. L. cucmis, gen. cucumeris;
cf. OF. cocombre,F. concombre.] (Bot.)
A creeping plant, and its fruit, of several species of the
genus {Cucumis}, esp. {Cucumis sativus}, the unripe fruit of
which is eaten either fresh or picked. Also, similar plants
or fruits of several other genera. See below.
{Bitter cucumber} (Bot.), the {Citrullus or Cucumis
   Colocynthis}. See {Colocynth}.
{Cucumber beetle.} (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A small, black flea-beetle ({Crepidodera cucumeris}),
    which destroys the leaves of cucumber, squash, and melon
    vines.
(b) The squash beetle.
{Cucumber tree}.
(a) A large ornamental or shade tree of the genus {Magnolia}
    {(M. acuminata)}, so called from a slight resemblance of
    its young fruit to a small cucumber.
(b) An East Indian plant ({Averrhoa Bilimbi}) which produces
    the fruit known as bilimbi.
{Jamaica cucumber}, {Jerusalem cucumber}, the prickly-fruited
   gherkin ({Cucumis Anguria}).
{Snake cucumber}, a species ({Cucumis flexuosus}) remarkable
   for its long, curiously-shaped fruit.
{Squirting cucumber}, a plant ({Ecbalium Elaterium}) whose
   small oval fruit separates from the footstalk when ripe
   and expels its seeds and juice with considerable force
   through the opening thus made. See {Elaterium}.
{Star cucumber}, a climbing weed ({Sicyos angulatus}) with
   prickly fruit.