grapefruit

American  

[grayp-froot] / ˈgreɪpˌfrut /

noun

• grapefruits
  plural

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• grapefruits
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of grapefruit

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

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Explanation

A grapefruit is a large citrus fruit that grows on a tree. Ripe grapefruits are very slightly sour, juicy, and delicious. The first grapefruits were an accident — they came from an inadvertent cross between an orange and a pomelo. Both of those species are native to Asia, but the grapefruit's accidental invention happened in Barbados some time in the 18th century. The name comes from the way the fruit clusters on the tree, close together like grapes, rather than its taste, which is a mixture of sweetness and acidity.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

grapefruit grapefruits

There are also around 16 fruit trees on the property—including orange, tangerine, grapefruit, lemon, and lime trees—as well as a brick-enclosed vegetable garden.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

Lively, zingy acidity, with notes of grapefruit and herbs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

An endangered piglet the size of a "grapefruit with legs" when she was born has made her debut at Chester Zoo, conservationists have said.

From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026

Ono’s very first “Wish Tree” — a baby grapefruit tree planted in a wooden box — was shown in 1996 at Santa Monica’s Shoshana Wayne Gallery in Bergamot Station.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

When Aunt Petunia put a quarter of unsweetened grapefruit onto Dudley’s plate with a tremulous “There you are, Diddy darling,” Dudley glowered at her.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

Ayelet Kohn and Shachar Shnurman harvested the grapefruits this month - a defiant act of normality amid the burnt-out remains of their neighbours' homes.

From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2024

And because he couldn’t afford a soccer ball, he learned to play on the streets using grapefruits or cloth stuffed with newspapers and bound with string.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2022

Of course, other citrus is just as dreamy: Limes, grapefruits, and tangerines are a few of my faves.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2021

In a randomized placebo-controlled trial, British researchers tested the effect on sperm of lycopene, a red pigment found in tomatoes, watermelons, pink grapefruits and other red-tinted fruits and vegetables.

From New York Times ● Oct. 15, 2019

Then I walk over to the tree, where Tomás has dug a hole out of boredom and is kicking at the loose grapefruits like they’re soccer balls.

From "Merci Suárez Changes Gears" by Meg Medina

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