lime

¹ American  

[lahym] / laɪm /

noun

1. the small, greenish-yellow, acid fruit of a citrus tree, Citrus aurantifolia, allied to the lemon.

2. the tree that bears this fruit.

3. greenish yellow.

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adjective

1. of the color lime.

2. of or made with limes.

lime ² American  

[lahym] / laɪm /

noun

1. Also called caustic lime,.  Also called calcium oxide.  Also called calx, quicklime.  Also called burnt lime;.  a white or grayish-white, odorless, lumpy, very slightly water-soluble solid, CaO, that when combined with water forms calcium hydroxide slaked lime, obtained from calcium carbonate, limestone, or oyster shells: used chiefly in mortars, plasters, and cements, in bleaching powder, and in the manufacture of steel, paper, glass, and various chemicals of calcium.

2. a calcium compound for improving crops grown in soils deficient in lime.

3. birdlime.

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verb (used with object)

limes, present (3rd person singular) limed, past participle, past liming present participle

1. to treat (soil) with lime or compounds of calcium.

2. to smear (twigs, branches, etc.) with birdlime.

3. to catch with or as if with birdlime.

4. to paint or cover (a surface) with a composition of lime and water; whitewash.

   The government buildings were freshly limed.

lime ³ American  

[lahym] / laɪm /

noun

1. the European linden, Tilia europaea.

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lime ⁴ American  

[lahym] / laɪm /

noun

Informal.

1. a shortened form of limelight.

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lime ¹ British  

/ laɪm /

noun

1. short for quicklime birdlime slaked lime

2. agriculture any of certain calcium compounds, esp calcium hydroxide, spread as a dressing on lime-deficient land

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verb

1. to spread (twigs, etc) with birdlime

2. to spread a calcium compound upon (land) to improve plant growth

3. to catch (animals, esp birds) with or as if with birdlime

4. to whitewash or cover (a wall, ceiling, etc) with a mixture of lime and water ( limewash )

lime ² British  

/ laɪm /

noun

1. a small Asian citrus tree, Citrus aurantifolia, with stiff sharp spines and small round or oval greenish fruits

2. 1. the fruit of this tree, having acid fleshy pulp rich in vitamin C

   2. ( as modifier )

      lime juice

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adjective

1. having the flavour of lime fruit

lime ³ British  

/ laɪm /

noun

1. any linden tree, such as Tilia europaea, planted in many varieties for ornament

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lime ⁴ British  

/ laɪm /

verb

1. slang (intr) (of young people) to sit or stand around on the pavement

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lime Scientific  

/ līm /

1. A white, lumpy, caustic powder made of calcium oxide sometimes mixed with other chemicals. It is made industrially by heating limestone, bones, or shells. Lime is used as an industrial alkali, in waste treatment, and in making glass, paper, steel, insecticides, and building plaster. It is also added to soil to lower its acidity.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• limeless
  adjective
• limelike
  adjective
• unlimed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• liming
  present
• limed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• lime
  simple
• limes
  simple
• have limed
  perfect
• has limed
  perfect
• am liming
  progressive
• are liming
  progressive
• is liming
  progressive
• have been liming
  perfect progressive
• has been liming
  perfect progressive

Past

• limed
  simple
• had limed
  perfect
• was liming
  progressive
• were liming
  progressive
• had been liming
  perfect progressive

Future

• will lime
  simple
• will have limed
  perfect
• will be liming
  progressive
• will have been liming
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of lime¹

First recorded in 1615–25; from Spanish lima, from Arabic līmah, līm “citrus fruit,” from Persian līmū(n); cf. lemon

Origin of lime²

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English līm; cognate with Dutch lijm, German Leim, Old Norse līm “glue,” Latin līmus “slime”; akin to loam

Origin of lime³

First recorded in 1615–25; unexplained variant of obsolete line, lind, Middle English, Old English lind; see linden

Origin of lime⁴

Shortened form

Example Sentences

Lunch is followed by afternoon tea, including Welsh cakes and bara brith, a Welsh bread, with raspberry lime jam and lemon curd.

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026

Your only remaining responsibility is to slice a lime for the bowl — and perhaps one for the drink you’ll carry back to the couch, where the air conditioner is already hard at work.

From Salon • Jul. 4, 2026

The combined company could benefit from the boom in data-center construction and semiconductor fabrication in the U.S., among other planned infrastructure projects that require lime.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026

As my mum and I walked, talking and eating tacos and fruit drenched in chilli and lime from street vendors, we felt immense pride in being Mexican.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

Daddy had given her twelve dollars to buy me a new dress, and the lime green one was eleven.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English

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