This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
kaffir lime
[ kuh-feer-lahym ]
/ kəˈfɪər ˈlaɪm /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun Sometimes Offensive.
an Asian citrus tree, Citrus hystrix, having green fruit with wrinkly skin and aromatic leaves that are used in Southeast Asian cooking.See Usage note at the current entry
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Also Kaf·fir lime; kief·fer lime [kee-fer lahym] /ˈki fər ˈlaɪm/ . Sometimes mak·rut lime [muh-kroot-lahym] /məˈkrut ˈlaɪm/ .
Origin of kaffir lime
usage note for kaffir lime
Although the development of its name is not entirely certain, the kaffir in kaffir lime looks like a word that is used as a racial slur against Black people in South Africa. Because of that association, some people instead refer to this fruit as the makrut lime.
Words nearby kaffir lime
Kaffir, kaffir beer, kaffirboom, kaffir corn, Kaffir lily, kaffir lime, kaffiyeh, Kaffraria, Kaffrarian, Kafir, Kafiri
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023