Squash

Squash is a common name for plants in the genus Cucurbita, members of the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. The term covers edible gourds harvested at various stages and used worldwide in cooking. It includes both summer varieties, such as zucchini (courgette) and yellow squash, harvested young with tender skins, and winter varieties, such as butternut, acorn, and spaghetti squash, harvested mature with hard rinds. Summer squashes are typically eaten soon after harvest, while winter squashes store for months. Flesh is usually sweet and starchy and can be roasted, steamed, stuffed, or puréed; seeds are edible and often roasted.

Squash, the sport, is an indoor racquet sport played by two players (singles) or four (doubles) on a four-wall court. Players strike a small rubber ball with a racket, aiming to return it to the front wall so that it bounces within marked boundaries after each shot. Points are won when the opponent cannot return the ball legally. The game emphasizes endurance, speed, and shot selection. It is governed internationally by the World Squash Federation and by national associations, with major tournaments worldwide. Courts feature a front wall with a lower 'tin' and service boxes; equipment includes a squash racket and non-marking shoes; balls vary in speed.

Squash (drink) is the British English name for a concentrated fruit cordial mixed with water. Usually sweetened and preserved, it is sold in bottles or cartons and must be diluted before drinking. Flavors include blackcurrant, lemon, and grape. The drink is popular in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries; it is not the same as plain fruit juice or an alcoholic beverage.