lemon

[lem-uh n]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR lemon ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the yellowish, acid fruit of a subtropical citrus tree, Citrus limon.

the tree itself.

Informal. a person or thing that proves to be defective, imperfect, or unsatisfactory; dud: His car turned out to be a lemon.

adjective

made of or with lemon.

having the color, taste, or odor of lemon.

RELATED WORDS

failure, junk, flop, reject

Nearby words

Origin of lemon

1350–1400; 1905–10 for def 4; < Medieval Latin lemōnium; replacing Middle English lymon < Medieval Latin līmō, (stem līmōn-) < Persian līmū, līmun

Related formslem·on·ish, adjectivelem·on·like, lem·on·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lemon

Twist a large piece of orange zest and a large piece of lemon zest over the drink and drop into the glass.
The Rise and Fall…and Rise Again of the Old-Fashioned|Allison McNearney|June 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Think all-tequila margaritas, carne asada tacos spritzed with lemon, key lime pies that are mounds of crust and nothing more.
Limepocalypse! Inside the Great Lime Shortage of 2014|Kara Cutruzzula|April 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What makes the pain bearable is a memory of Robin, at lunch, when she suddenly smashes a lemon meringue pie into her own face.
This Week’s Hot Reads: February 18, 2014|Mythili Rao|February 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Apply to the forehead for fast relief and follow up with a cup of green tea with half a lemon squeezed in.
Use These 15 Home Remedies Based On Ayurveda To Cure Menstrual Cramps, Hangovers, and Indigestion|Ari Meisel|January 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Hangover—Make yourself a cup of coffee and squeeze in the juice of half a lemon.
Use These 15 Home Remedies Based On Ayurveda To Cure Menstrual Cramps, Hangovers, and Indigestion|Ari Meisel|January 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Into a large wide mouthed bottle, put French brandy, and fresh rose leaves, or lemon and orange peel.
The New England Cook Book, or Young Housekeeper's Guide|Anonymous
Beat the yolks of the eggs for 10 minutes with the sugar and lemon rind.
The Allinson Vegetarian Cookery Book|Thomas R. Allinson
Add the flour with the baking powder mixed in, and the rind of one lemon.
The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book|Victor Hirtzler
The leaves of the plant emit a strong odor when rubbed, likened to that of the lemon verbena.
The Practical Garden-Book|C. E. Hunn
It is much used in medicine as a substitute for lemon juice, and to form effervescing draughts, citrates, &c.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for lemon

lemon

noun

a small Asian evergreen tree, Citrus limon, widely cultivated in warm and tropical regions, having pale green glossy leaves and edible fruitsRelated adjectives: citric, citrine, citrous

the yellow oval fruit of this tree, having juicy acidic flesh rich in vitamin C
(as modifier)a lemon jelly

Also called: lemon yellow

a greenish-yellow or strong yellow colour
(as adjective)lemon wallpaper

a distinctive tart flavour made from or in imitation of the lemon

slang a person or thing considered to be useless or defective

Derived Formslemonish, adjectivelemon-like, adjective

Word Origin for lemon

C14: from Medieval Latin lemōn-, from Arabic laymūn

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

Word Origin and History for lemon

lemon

n.1

type of citrus fruit, c.1400, lymon, from Old French limon "citrus fruit" (12c.), via Provençal or Italian from Arabic laimun, from Persian limu(n), generic terms for citrus fruits (cf. lime (n.2)); cognate with Sanskrit nimbu "the lime." Slang meaning "a Quaalude" is 1960s, from Lemmon, name of a pharmaceutical company that once manufactured the drug.

lemon

n.2

"worthless thing," 1909, American English slang; from lemon (n.1), perhaps via criminal slang sense of "a person who is a loser, a simpleton," which is perhaps from the notion of someone a sharper can "suck the juice out of." A pool hall hustle was called a lemon game (1908); while to hand someone a lemon was British slang (1906) for "to pass off a sub-standard article as a good one." Or it simply may be a metaphor for something which leaves a bad taste in one's mouth.

lemon

noun

adjective

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Nearby words

Origin of lemon

Examples from the Web for lemon

lemon

noun

Word Origin for lemon

lemon

lemon