a variety of melon, Cucumis melo cantalupensis, of the gourd family, having a hard scaly or warty rind, grown in Europe, Asia, and the United States.

a muskmelon having a reticulated rind and pale-orange flesh.

noun

winter melon , rock melon , melonnotes:cantaloupe was first cultivated outside rome at a villa called cantalupo , hence the name; the \'cantaloupes\' you buy in stores are actually muskmelons - why grocers (etc.) prefer to call them by the wrong name is unclear as real cantaloupes are rarely grown or sold in the united states , fruit , melon , muskmelon