lemon

views updated May 11 2018

lem·on / ˈlemən/ • n. 1. a yellow, oval citrus fruit with thick skin and fragrant, acidic juice. ∎ a drink made from or flavored with lemon juice: a port and lemon [as adj.] lemon tea. 2. (also lemon tree) the evergreen citrus tree (Citrus limon) that produces this fruit, widely cultivated in warm climates. 3. a pale yellow color. 4. inf. a person or thing, esp. an automobile, regarded as unsatisfactory, disappointing, or feeble.DERIVATIVES: lem·on·y adj.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

lemon

views updated May 14 2018

lemon the type of something unsatisfactory, perhaps referring to the least valuable symbol in a fruit machine.
the answer is a lemon the response is unsatisfactory.
hand someone a lemon pass off a sub-standard article as being of good value.
lemon law in the US, an informal term for a law designed to provide redress for buyers of faulty or substandard cars.

See also if life hands you lemons, make lemonade, oranges and lemons at orange.

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ELIZABETH KNOWLES

lemon

views updated May 21 2018

lemon1 pale-yellow acid fruit. XIV. ME. lymon — (O)F. limon (now restricted to the lime), corr. to Sp. limón, Pg. limāo, It. limone, medL. limō, -ōn- — Arab. laimūn — Pers. līmū(n).
So lemonade XVII. — F. limonade.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

lemon

views updated May 14 2018

lemon Sour yellow fruit of Citrus limon. A 100‐g portion of fruit, or 100 ml of juice, is a rich source of vitamin C; supplies 7 kcal (28 kJ).

A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition DAVID A. BENDER

lemon

views updated Jun 11 2018

lemon Evergreen tree and its familiar, sour, yellow citrus fruit. Grown primarily in the USA and in subtropical regions, it is rarely eaten raw, but is used in cooking and in drinks. Height of tree: to 6m (20ft). Family Rutaceae; species Citrus limon.

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