lemon

[lem-uh n] /ˈlɛm ən/
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
5.
made of or with lemon.
6.
having the color, taste, or odor of lemon.
Origin
1350-1400; 1905-10 for def 4; < Medieval Latin lemōnium; replacing Middle English lymon < Medieval Latin līmō, (stem līmōn-) < Persian līmū, līmun
Related forms
lemonish, adjective
lemonlike, lemony, adjective
Examples from the web for lemon
  • Add a small amount of fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and mix.
  • The winds had already affected our local plum and lemon trees.
  • Think vividly of cutting open a juicy lemon and then bringing it towards your face and finally biting down of the sour fruit.
  • Milk, lemon juice or baking soda mixed with water can be used as invisible ink.
  • Out went banana, cherry and wintergreen and in came bright blue raspberry, lemon and green apple.
  • Burrowing owls are playful, nine-inch-tall birds with bold, lemon-colored eyes.
  • The fish is often battered or pan-fried with a lemon butter sauce, though there are countless ways to prepare it.
  • lemon, pomegranate and avocado trees were common in the neighborhood.
  • They are made of honey, lemon juice, walnuts and semolina.
  • Squeeze a lemon over them, using your fingers to coat any exposed parts of the fruit.
British Dictionary definitions for 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 related adjectives citric citrine citrous
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
Derived Forms
lemonish, adjective
lemon-like, adjective
Word Origin
C14: from Medieval Latin lemōn-, from Arabic laymūn
Word Origin and History for lemon
n.

type of citrus fruit, c.1400, lymon, from Old French limon "citrus fruit" (12c.), via Provençal or Italian from Arabic laimun, from Persian limu(n), generic terms for citrus fruits (cf. lime (n.2)); cognate with Sanskrit nimbu "the lime." Slang meaning "a Quaalude" is 1960s, from Lemmon, name of a pharmaceutical company that once manufactured the drug.

"worthless thing," 1909, American English slang; from lemon (n.1), perhaps via criminal slang sense of "a person who is a loser, a simpleton," which is perhaps from the notion of someone a sharper can "suck the juice out of." A pool hall hustle was called a lemon game (1908); while to hand someone a lemon was British slang (1906) for "to pass off a sub-standard article as a good one." Or it simply may be a metaphor for something which leaves a bad taste in one's mouth.

Slang definitions & phrases for lemon

lemon 1

noun
  1. Anything unsatisfactory or defective, esp a car; clinker: His tale brought back memories of my first lemon/ That show's a lemon (1909+)
  2. A light-skinned and attractive black woman; high yellow (1940s+ Black)
  3. A sour, disagreeable person (1925+)
  4. (also lemonade) Weakened or diluted narcotics, or a nonnarcotic substance sold as a narcotic; blank (1960s+ Narcotics)
Related Terms

hand someone a lemon


lemon 2

noun

A Quaalude2

[1960s+ Narcotics; Lemmon is the name of a pharmaceutical company that once manufactured the drug]