lemon
English meaning: Lemon
Definition
A lemon is a yellow citrus fruit with a sour taste, used in cooking and drinks.
Example
“She squeezed a little lemon over the grilled fish to brighten its delicate flavor.”
Another example: “The car turned out to be a lemon and broke down within a week.”
Usage — When, Where & How
Neutral, everyday noun for the sour yellow citrus fruit; common in food and drink contexts. Informally (chiefly US), 'a lemon' means a faulty product, especially a car. Used in both US and UK English.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Old French 'limon', from Arabic 'laymun', from Persian.
Synonyms
- gamboge
- lemon yellow
- lemon tree
- citrus limon
- maize
Related Words
- squeezer
- meringue
- verbena
- zest
- balm
- juice
- fey
- grapefruit
- citron
- rind
- liqueur
- raspberry
Common Collocations
- fresh lemon
- lemon juice
- squeeze of lemon
- lemon zest
- slice of lemon
- lemon meringue
Word Forms
lemon (n); lemons (pl); lemony (adj)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B