pomelo

American  

[pom-uh-loh] / ˈpɒm əˌloʊ /

noun

plural

pomelos

1. the very large, yellow or orange citrus fruit of a tree, Citrus maxima, of southeastern Asia.

2. the tree itself.

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pomelo British  

/ ˈpɒmɪˌləʊ /

noun

1. a tropical rutaceous tree, Citrus maxima (or C. decumana ), grown widely in oriental regions for its large yellow grapefruit-like edible fruit

2. the fruit of this tree

3. another name for grapefruit

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Etymology

Origin of pomelo

1855–60; pseudo-Spanish alteration of pomplemoose < Dutch pompelmoes, perhaps blend of pompoen pumpkin and Portuguese limões, plural of limão lemon

Compare meaning

How does pomelo compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• pummelo vs. pomelo

Example Sentences

They speculate that other early Citrus species, including the pomelo and citron, emerged slightly later in the Himalayan foothills.

From Scientific American • Oct. 11, 2023

Gili Yoskovich told the BBC how she hid in a pomelo orchard.

From BBC • Oct. 8, 2023

This vibrant salad, based on yum som-o, a pomelo salad from Thailand, puts citrus front and center.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 21, 2022

Mango pomelo sago is the top fruit tea: It harmonizes pulpy tart pomelo with slick sweet mangos and creamy cold slush.

From Washington Post • Sep. 8, 2022

He wished for a whole basket of yellow pomelo fruits, sweeter than grapefruits, to eat by himself.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye