citrus

noun

cit·​rus ˈsi-trəs 

plural citrus or citruses

often attributive

: any of a group of often thorny trees and shrubs (Citrus and related genera) of the rue family grown in warm regions for their edible fruit (such as the orange or lemon) with firm usually thick rind and pulpy flesh

also : the fruit

citrusy

ˈsi-trə-sē 

adjective

Examples of citrus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ceviche arrives bright and cold, sharpened by citrus, softened by fresh seafood, and lifted with herbs and heat. — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026

The menu makes its way around Italy with dishes like gambero rosso carpaccio finished with caviar and espelette chili, Pomodori della Nonna piled high with peak-season tomatoes, and tagliolini tossed with king crab in a bright citrus bisque. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 July 2026

Fruits Similar to herbs, fruits such as berries, avocados, and citrus should be left out of plastic, too. — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 13 July 2026

Perfumers often create this effect with notes like white musk, skin musk, aldehydes, watery florals, sheer woods, and delicate citrus, which together can evoke a cozy sense of self-care. — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 11 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, going back to Late Latin, "the citron tree Citrus medica," going back to Latin, "the North African conifer Tetraclinis articulata," borrowed from or akin to Greek kédros "cedar, juniper" — more at cedar

Note: The word citrus in reference to a citrus tree is apparently not firmly attested before post-classical Latin. However, Pliny, who in Historia naturalis 13.29-31 discusses the North African conifer in some detail, adds that others use the word citrus for a different tree whose fruit is cursed by some for its odor and bitter taste, but sought out by others ("Alia est arbor eodem nomine, malum ferens execratum aliquis odore et amaritudine, aliis expetitum …"). This could well have been Citrus medica (literally, "Median citrus"). Compare also mālum citreum, "fruit of the citrus tree," alluded to by Scribonius Largus and Martial. It is unclear why a word for Tetraclinis articulata would have been extended to a tree as different as Citrus medica; similar uses of the wood, as for detering moths, have been suggested. An extensive discussion of the use of citrus wood in antiquity is in Russell Meiggs, Trees and Timber in the Ancient Mediterranean World (Oxford, 1982), pp. 286-92.

First Known Use

1781, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing citrus

• Asian citrus psyllid
• citrus canker
• citrus greening
• citrus greening disease
• citrus red mite

Rhymes for citrus

• nitrous

Kids Definition

citrus

noun

cit·​rus ˈsi-trəs 

plural citrus or citruses

: any of a genus of often thorny trees and shrubs (as the orange, grapefruit, or lemon) grown in warm regions for their fruits

also : the fruit of a citrus

citrus adjective

Medical Definition

citrus

noun

cit·​rus ˈsi-trəs 

often attributive

1

capitalized : a genus of often thorny trees and shrubs of the rue family (Rutaceae) grown in warm regions for their edible fruit (as the orange, lemon, lime, or mandarin) with firm usually thick rind and pulpy flesh

2

plural citruses or citrus : any plant or fruit of the genus Citrus or a related genus