lemon

1 of 2

noun

lem·​on ˈle-mən How to pronounce lemon (audio)
1
a
: an acid fruit that is botanically a many-seeded pale yellow oblong berry produced by a small thorny citrus tree (Citrus limon) and that has a rind from which an aromatic oil is extracted
b
: a tree that bears lemons
2
: something (such as an automobile) that is unsatisfactory or defective

Illustration of lemon

Illustration of lemon
  • branch with fruit and flowers

lemon

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of the color lemon yellow
2
a
: containing lemon
b
: having the flavor or scent of lemon

Examples of lemon in a Sentence

Noun The recipe calls for the juice of two lemons. Garnish it with a slice of lemon. Our new car is a lemon.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
House 54 is made with Hendricks Grand Cabaret, apricot liqueur, simple syrup, lemon and bubbles. The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 Lively first launched her non-alcoholic drink company in 2021 with elegant glass-bottle branding and flavors including lemon lime, grapefruit, ginger beer and tonic water. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 4 Mar. 2024 Throughout the property, there are also olive trees and apple, peach, orange, lemon, and lime trees. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2024 Season the collards and shallot with the salt, and, if desired, a squeeze of lemon. Adrienne Cheatham, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 Stir in garlic, olive oil, basil, capers and lemon juice. Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 2 Mar. 2024 Baking soda and salt are alkaline but are sometimes recommended in combination with vinegar or lemon juice as a way to include a mild abrasive. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 Cash on a your Leap Year birthday with free drinks at Shoma Bazaar Shoma Bazaar is offering BOGO lemon drop shots and a complimentary Pretty Pebbles cocktail all night long to those born on February 29. Amber Love Bond, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 But inside, personality overflows in a wide array of different, bright colors, including turquoise, orange sherbet, deep and hot pinks, and even lemon. Tj MacIas, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Order a side of fries, which is big enough to share between two people, and top things off with a lemon Italian ice—the only flavor available. Ximena N. Beltran Quan Kiu, Bon Appétit, 16 June 2023 With intoxicating notes of lemon essential oil, blackcurrant bud absolute, raspberry rose Damascena essential oil, cedarwood essential oil, and musk, the eau is sweet and citrusy yet not too overpowering. Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 22 Nov. 2022 Their other copy of that gene, as well as both copies in non-lemon-frost leopard geckos, did not have those differences in the DNA sequence. Maddie Bender, Scientific American, 24 June 2021 And there's a sauce for everyone's taste, from lemon garlic lobster to mango habanero steak and shrimp and chicken bacon ranch dishes. Dahlia Ghabour, The Courier-Journal, 27 May 2021 Makes 8 shots 6 ounces dry rosé 1½ ounces Campari 2 ounces lemon juice ½ ounce maraschino cherry liquid Maraschino cherries, such as Luxardo In a shaker filled with ice, combine the rosé, Campari, lemon juice, and maraschino cherry liquid. Rebekah Peppler, Bon Appétit, 26 Aug. 2019 Make LEMON PUDDING (from a mix) with 1 percent milk for dessert. Susan Nicholson, Twin Cities, 16 Apr. 2017 Jack Rudy Elderflower Tonic .5 oz. Lemon juice 4 oz. Sam Dangremond, Town & Country, 18 Dec. 2015

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lemon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English lymon, from Middle French limon, from Medieval Latin limon-, limo, from Arabic laymūn, līmūn, from Persian līmū, līmun

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lemon was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near lemon

Cite this Entry

“Lemon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lemon. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lemon

noun
lem·​on
ˈlem-ən
1
a
: a yellow oblong fruit with sour juice and a thick rind from which a fragrant oil is obtained
b
: a small thorny citrus tree that bears lemons
2
: the color of ripe lemons
3
: one that turns out to be unsatisfactory or disappointing
our new car is a lemon
lemon adjective

Medical Definition

lemon

noun
lem·​on ˈlem-ən How to pronounce lemon (audio)
: an acid fruit that contains citric acid and vitamin C, is botanically a many-seeded pale yellow oblong berry, and is produced by a small thorny tree of the genus Citrus (C. limon)
also : this tree
lemon adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on lemon

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