lemon
Americannoun
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the yellowish, acid fruit of a subtropical citrus tree, Citrus limon.
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the tree itself.
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Informal. a person or thing that proves to be defective, imperfect, or unsatisfactory; dud.
His car turned out to be a lemon.
adjective
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made of or with lemon.
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having the color, taste, or odor of lemon.
noun
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a small Asian evergreen tree, Citrus limon, widely cultivated in warm and tropical regions, having pale green glossy leaves and edible fruits
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the yellow oval fruit of this tree, having juicy acidic flesh rich in vitamin C
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( as modifier )
a lemon jelly
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Also called: lemon yellow.
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a greenish-yellow or strong yellow colour
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( as adjective )
lemon wallpaper
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a distinctive tart flavour made from or in imitation of the lemon
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slang a person or thing considered to be useless or defective
Other Word Forms
- lemon-like adjective
- lemonish adjective
- lemonlike adjective
- lemony adjective
Etymology
Origin of lemon
1350–1400; 1905–10 lemon for def. 4; < Medieval Latin lemōnium; replacing Middle English lymon < Medieval Latin līmō, (stem līmōn- ) < Persian līmū, līmun
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Maybe a squeeze of lemon if the day demands brightness.
From Salon
They also noted that “it was arranged on platters with a small wedge of lemon and some garnish.”
From Salon
A little lemon zest can perk up even the simplest of dishes, like scrambled eggs.
From Salon
Off heat, fold in lemon zest — the volatile oils hit the warm crumbs and bloom instantly, perfuming them.
From Salon
Nomio has crammed the compounds found in about 6 pounds of broccoli into a liquid dose the size of a tequila shot—along with a little lemon and sugar to make it more palatable.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
