A
gourd is a hollow, dried
shell of a
fruit in the
Cucurbitaceae family of
plants. Gourds can be used as a number of things, including bowls or bottles. Gourds are also used as
resonating chambers[?] on certain
musical instruments including some
stringed instruments and
drums. Instruments of this type are common in
Africa,
South Asia, and the
Caribbean. Gourds are also used as a tool for sipping
yerba mate by means of a bombilla, in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, where it is called "cuia" (kOOya).