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grapefruit

American  
[greyp-froot] / ˈgreɪpˌfrut /

noun

  1. a large, roundish, yellow-skinned, edible citrus fruit having a juicy, acid pulp.

  2. the tropical or semitropical tree, Citrus paradisi, yielding this fruit.


grapefruit British  
/ ˈɡreɪpˌfruːt /

noun

  1. a tropical or subtropical cultivated evergreen rutaceous tree, Citrus paradisi

  2. the large round edible fruit of this tree, which has yellow rind and juicy slightly bitter pulp

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of grapefruit

1805–15; grape + fruit, apparently from the resemblance of its clusters to those of grapes

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.

Dan from Edinburgh says that his baby, due in early January, was at one point the size of a grapefruit.

From BBC • Dec. 31, 2025

Yonder Cider in Wenatchee, Wash., takes inspiration from cocktails to create ciders such as the Greyhound-like Sunnyslope, with pink grapefruit and lemon verbena.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025

His family says they fill large crates with 500 pounds of lemons, oranges and grapefruit, often in triple-digit heat without any company-paid breaks.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2025

Similar to Starbucks’ signature Refreshers, Luckin’s Solar Breeze is more juice-heavy and features a citrus blend of blood orange and grapefruit juices.

From Salon • Jul. 27, 2025

We milked first—since cows don’t celebrate Christmas—and then came in to a breakfast of eggs and grapefruit and cherry babka and hot tea.

From "Orbiting Jupiter" by Gary D. Schmidt