lemon

[lem-uhn]

noun

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

2. the tree itself.

3. lemon yellow.

4. Informal.,  a person or thing that proves to be defective, imperfect, or unsatisfactory; dud.

   His car turned out to be a lemon.

adjective

1. made of or with lemon.

2. having the color, taste, or odor of lemon.

lemon

/ ˈlɛmən /

noun

1. a small Asian evergreen tree, Citrus limon, widely cultivated in warm and tropical regions, having pale green glossy leaves and edible fruits

2. 1. the yellow oval fruit of this tree, having juicy acidic flesh rich in vitamin C

   2. ( as modifier )

      a lemon jelly

3. Also called: lemon yellow. 

   1. a greenish-yellow or strong yellow colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      lemon wallpaper

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

5. slang,  a person or thing considered to be useless or defective

Other Word Forms

• lemonish adjective
• lemonlike adjective
• lemony adjective
• lemon-like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lemon¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of lemon¹

C14: from Medieval Latin lemōn-, from Arabic laymūn

Example Sentences

I used blood orange and lemon, scraping their zest and squeezing their juice into the batter, which is enriched with more than a half-cup of olive oil.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

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.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

There were heaping plates of pancakes served with warm honey, and sliced peaches cooked in butter and sugar, and platters of fluffy scrambled eggs, tender and lemon yellow.

Read more on Literature

Its breath came in hard pants, and its staring, close-set eyes were yellow as two tiny bowls of lemon custard.

Read more on Literature

Clearly, optimism can be a very fine trait, with the power to turn lemons into lemonade, apples into blackberries, and so forth.

Read more on Literature