sour orange

noun

: a citrus tree (Citrus aurantium) that is used especially as a stock in grafting citrus

also : its bitter fruit

called also bitter orange

Examples of sour orange in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For instance, ingredients typical of the Yucatán Peninsula—annatto and sour orange—appear alongside Northern Sonora–style flour tortillas and tacos. —Anais Martinez, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Apr. 2026

Cultivation of citrus spread across this region and reached Africa, Arabia, and southeastern Europe through trade routes as early as the Roman Empire for the lemon (Citrus limon), and the sour orange (C. aurantium) variety came to Europe with Arab traders beginning in the 10th century. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026

As Leo chased Genesis around the kitchen, Rosalba and her mother prepared lunch—a delicious meal of chicken cooked in a broth of cinnamon, clove, laurel, and sour orange. —Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 5 Oct. 2025

Famed chef Jose Andres has brought his flavors to Flushing, orchestrating the Mexican cuisine inside the Dobel Tequila Club with Oyamel by Jose Andres Group, including Oyamel’s Taco Cochinita, made of Yucatan-style pit barbecued port, achiote, Mexican sour orange and pickled red onions. —Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1748, in the meaning defined above