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lemon

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The definition of a lemon is a yellow color, a small and yellow egg-shaped citrus fruit, or is slang for a poorly-made article that is defective.

(noun)

An example of lemon as a color is a yellow flower.
An example of a lemon is the source of the citrus juice in a gin fizz cocktail.
An example of lemon is a car that never runs correctly even after being fixed repeatedly.

See lemon in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

a small, egg-shaped, edible citrus fruit with a yellow rind and a juicy, sour pulp, rich in ascorbic acid
the small, spiny, semitropical evergreen citrus tree (Citrus limon) bearing this fruit
pale yellow
☆ Slang
1. something, esp. a manufactured article, that is defective or imperfect
2. an inadequate person

Origin: ME lymon < MFr limon < Ar laimūn < Pers līmūn

adjective

having the color of a lemon; pale to bright yellow
made with or from lemons
having a flavor more or less like that of lemons

Related Forms:

lemony adjective

See lemon in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun

a. A spiny, Asian evergreen tree (Citrus limon) widely cultivated for its yellow, egg-shaped fruit.
b. The fruit of this tree, having a yellow aromatic rind and juicy, acid pulp.
Lemon yellow.
Informal One that is unsatisfactory or defective: Their new car turned out to be a lemon.

adjective

Lemon-yellow.
a. Made from lemons.
b. Tasting or smelling like lemons.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English limon

Origin: , from Old French

Origin: , from Old Italian limone

Origin: , from Arabic laymūn, līmūn

Origin: , from Persian līmūn

Related Forms:

lemˈon·y adjective

Word History: Although we know neither where the lemon was first grown nor when it first came to Europe, we know from its name that it came to us from the Middle East because we can trace its etymological path. One of the earliest occurrences of our word is found in a Middle English customs document of 1420-1421. The Middle English word limon goes back to Old French limon, showing that yet another delicacy passed into England through France. The Old French word probably came from Italian limone, another step on the route that leads back to the Arabic word laymūn or līmūn, which comes from the Persian word līmūn.

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