cocomero

Italian

Cocomeri – Watermelons

Alternative forms

• cocomaro, cocumero (archaic, regional)
• cucumbra (Marche)

Etymology

Inherited from Latin cucumis (“cucumber”), cucumeris.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /koˈko.me.ro/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -omero
• Hyphenation: co‧có‧me‧ro

Noun

cocomero m (plural cocomeri, diminutive cocomerìno or cocomerétto or cocomerèllo, augmentative cocomeróne, pejorative cocomeràccio)

1. watermelon, specifically:
   • 1972, “La barba bianca [The white beard]”, in Carlo A. Corsi, transl., Compagno di sbronze [Hangover buddy]‎^[1], Milan: Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore, translation of Erections, Ejaculations, Exhibitions, and General Tales of Ordinary Madness by Charles Bukowski, published 2005, page 99:

     E Herb apriva un buco nel cocomero e si fotteva il cocomero e poi obbligava Talbot, Talbot il tappo, a mangiarselo.

     And Herb opened a hole in the watermelon and fucked the watermelon and then made Talbot, Talbot the shorty, eat it.

   1. the plant Citrullus lanatus

      Synonym: anguria

   2. (by extension) the fruit of the plant

      Synonym: anguria

2. (figurative) a foolish or unreliable man

   Synonym: balordo

3. (obsolete, regional, northern Italian) synonym of cetriolo (“cucumber”)
   • 1495, Pietro de' Crescenzi, “VIII. Delle dilettazioni degli orti, e dell'erbe [8. Of the delights of vegetable gardens and herbs]”, in Trattato di agricoltura - Volume due [Treatise about agriculture - Volume two]‎^[2], Naples: Printed by Felice Mosca, published 1724, Libro ottavo, page 104:

     E ancora creſceranno i cocomeri, o vero cedriuoli, maraviglioſamente, ſe porrai ſotto 'l cocomero, o sotto il cedriuolo, o ſotto la zucca un vaſello d'acqua ſcoperto, due palmi più baſſo.

     Cucumbers will also grow marvelously if you put, two palms below the cucumber, an open jar of water.

Related terms

• cocomeraia
• cocomeraio
• cocomeraro
• cocomerata
• cocomero asinino

Further reading

• cocomero in Collins Italian-English Dictionary
• cocomero in Aldo Gabrielli, Grandi Dizionario Italiano (Hoepli)
• cocomero in garzantilinguistica.it – Garzanti Linguistica, De Agostini Scuola Spa
• cocómero in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication
• “cocomero”, in Sinonimi e Contrari (in Italian), Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, 2003
• “cocomero”, in Enciclopedia Treccani on line (in Italian), Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, 2026

Anagrams

• omocerco