pomelo
Americannoun
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the very large, yellow or orange citrus fruit of a tree, Citrus maxima, of southeastern Asia.
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the tree itself.
noun
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a tropical rutaceous tree, Citrus maxima (or C. decumana ), grown widely in oriental regions for its large yellow grapefruit-like edible fruit
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the fruit of this tree
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another name for grapefruit
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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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
I left the car and started to run, I saw a place with many pomelo trees and I went there.
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
Finger limes, pomelos, pawpaw and sapote, to name a handful.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2025
Tart citrus fruits vary from olive-sized kumquats to four-pound pomelos.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 11, 2023
Blood oranges, clementines, finger limes, Meyer lemons, kumquats, pomelos, tangelos, tangerines and yuzus all deserve their moment in the sun.
From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2023
Grapefruit is used here, but if you happen on pomelos, grab a few: They’re much easier to peel and loosen from their piths.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 21, 2022
The prison children would press their faces against the metal gate and sniff the sweet scent of mangosteens and rambutans, the acid aroma of the pomelos and green oranges.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
