citrus

American  

[si-truhs] / ˈsɪ trəs /

noun

citruses plural

1. any small tree or spiny shrub of the genus Citrus, of the rue family, including the lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, grapefruit, citron, kumquat, and shaddock, widely cultivated for fruit or grown as an ornamental.

2. the tart-to-sweet, pulpy fruit of any of these trees or shrubs, having a characteristically smooth, shiny, stippled skin.

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adjective

1. Also citrous of or relating to such trees or shrubs, or their fruit.

citrus British  

/ ˈsɪtrəs /

noun

1. any tree or shrub of the tropical and subtropical rutaceous genus Citrus, which includes the orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, citron, and calamondin

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or belonging to the genus Citrus or to the fruits of plants of this genus

citrus Scientific  

/ sĭt′rəs /

1. Any of various evergreen trees or shrubs bearing fruit with juicy flesh and a thick rind. Citrus trees are native to southern and southeast Asia but are grown in warm climates around the world. Many species have spines. The orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit are citrus trees.

2. The usually edible fruit of one of these trees or shrubs.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• citruses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of citrus

1815–25; < New Latin, Latin: citron tree

Explanation

Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes: all of these are fruits that belong to the citrus family. They share similar kinds of pulp, thick rinds, and the fact that they grow well in warm climates. If you live in Florida, then you know about citrus. Most of the country's oranges and other citrus come from Florida, with California a close second. But oranges aren't the only citrus fruits. There are lemons, limes, grapefruits, just to name just a few. You can recognize a citrus fruit by its brightly colored, thick, and peelable rind. Citrus fruits are juicy and pulpy and make for a great breakfast. Not for me, though. All the acid in citrus makes my stomach upset.

Example Sentences

With alcohol consumption ebbing again, the brand is now experimenting with a zero-alcohol citrus cocktail it calls Citrus Sin—in homage to Beam’s Prohibition-informed philosophy that not promoting agriculture and community employment was a sin.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

In 2025, greening affected a record 47.63 percent of orange trees in the Brazilian Citrus Belt, according to Fundecitrus; 100 million trees, of 209 million, are now infected.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

Officially, it is part of the "Road to 26", a "series of international exhibitions leading into the 2026 Fifa World Cup" co-promoted by Pitch International, Unified Events, Florida Citrus Sports and Lions Media.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Citrus lingers — oranges, grapefruit, tangerines — holding onto the last of their brightness like a lantern carried through fog.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026

So by the time I walked back up Citrus Court to the front door of our house, I was very happy.

From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan