lemon

See also: Lemon

Contents

English

Wikispecies

A whole and a cut lemon.

A lemon tree.

Etymology

From Middle English lymon, from Old French lymon (“citrus”), from Arabic لَيْمُون‎ (laymūn) or Ottoman Turkish لیمون‎ (limon), from Persian لیمو‎ (limu). Cognate with Sanskrit निम्बू (nimbū, “lime”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛmən/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛmən

Noun

lemon (plural lemons)

1. A yellowish citrus fruit.
2. A semitropical evergreen tree, Citrus limon, that bears such fruits.
3. A taste or flavour/flavor of lemons.
4. A more or less bright shade of yellow associated with lemon fruits.

   lemon flesh colour:  

   lemon rind colour:  

5. (slang) A defective or inadequate item or individual.

   He didn’t realise until he’d paid for it that the car was a lemon.

   • 1951, Herman Wouk, chapter 20, in The Caine Mutiny, page 243:

     “ […] the Navy's supposed to give me a ship that goes, and a captain that fights—— That's what all this muck is for, isn't it?”
     “Look, it's an old story by now. We're stuck with a lemon. Misfortune of war. […] ”

6. (Cockney rhyming slang, shortened from “lemon flavour”) Favor.

   A thousand quid for that motor? Do me a lemon, I could get it for half that.

7. (fandom slang) A piece of fanfiction involving explicit sex (named after the erotic anime series Cream Lemon).

Synonyms

• (defective item): bomb
• (erotic fanfiction): PWP, smutfic

Derived terms

• bitter lemon
• do me a lemon
• lemonade
• lemonade berry
• lemon balm
• lemon-belly
• lemon cheese
• lemon chiffon
• lemon chiffon pie
• lemon crab
• lemon curd
• lemon drop
• lemongrass
• lemon grass
• lemon juice
• lemon law
• lemon lime
• lemon meringue pie
• lemon myrtle
• lemon soda
• lemon sole
• lemon squash
• lemon-squeezer
• lemon squeezer
• lemon thyme
• lemon verbena
• lemon vervain
• lemony
• lemon yellow
• sit there like a lemon

 

Related terms

• limonene

Translations

citrus fruit

• Afrikaans: suurlemoen (af)
• Albanian: limon (sq) m
• Arabic: لَيْمُون‎ m (laymūn)

  Egyptian Arabic: لمون‎ m (lamūn)

  Moroccan Arabic: حمض‎ (ḥamḍ)

• Armenian: կիտրոն (hy) (kitron), լիմոն (hy) (limon)
• Assamese: নেমু (nemu), নেমু-টেঙা (nemu-teṅa)
• Asturian: llimón m
• Azerbaijani: limon (az)
• Basque: limoi (eu)
• Belarusian: лімо́н m (limón), цытры́на f (cytrýna)
• Bengali: লেবু (bn) (lebu)
• Breton: sitron m, sitronoù pl, suraval m, (1) suravaloù pl
• Bulgarian: лимо́н (bg) m (limón)
• Burmese: ရှောက် (my) (hrauk), သံပရို (my) (sampa.rui)
• Catalan: llimona (ca) f
• Chichewa: ndimu
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 檸檬, 柠檬 (ning⁴ mung¹)

  Hakka: 檸檬, 柠檬 (lê-móng)

  Mandarin: 檸檬 (zh), 柠檬 (zh) (níngméng)

  Min Nan: 檸檬 (zh-min-nan), 柠檬 (lê-bóng)

• Cornish: lymmaval
• Czech: citrón (cs) m, citron (cs)
• Danish: citron (da) c
• Dhivehi: ގޮމަށި‎ (gomashi)
• Dutch: citroen (nl) f
• Esperanto: citrono (eo)
• Estonian: sidrun
• Ewe: mumue n
• Faroese: sitrón f
• Finnish: sitruuna (fi)
• French: citron (fr) m
• Galician: limón (gl) m, cidrón m
• Georgian: ლიმონი (limoni)
• German: Zitrone (de) f
• Greek: λεμόνι (el) n (lemóni)
• Gujarati: લીંબુ (lī̃bu)
• Hebrew: לִימוֹן‎ (he) m (limón)
• Hindi: नींबू m (nīmbū), नीबू (hi) m (nībū)
• Hungarian: citrom (hu)
• Hunsrik: Zitron f
• Icelandic: sítróna (is) f
• Ido: citrono (io)
• Indonesian: jeruk sitrun (id), jeruk lemon
• Irish: líomóid f
• Italian: limone (it) m
• Japanese: 檸檬 (ja) (レモン, remon), レモン (ja) (remon)
• Kalmyk: нимбә (nimbä)
• Kannada: ಇಲಿಮಿಂಚಿ (kn) (ilimiñci)
• Kazakh: лимон (kk) (lïmon)
• Khmer: ក្រូចឆ្មារ (km) (krooc cmaa)
• Korean: 레몬 (ko) (remon)
• Kyrgyz: лимон (ky) (limon)
• Lao: ໝາກນາວ (lo) (māk nāo)
• Latin: citreus
• Latvian: citrons m
• Lithuanian: citrina (lt) f
• Luhya: please add this translation if you can

• Luxembourgish: Zitroun (lb) f
• Macedonian: лимон m (limon), colloq. цитро́н m (citrón)
• Malay: jeruk, limau
• Malayalam: ചെറുനാരങ്ങ (ceṟunāraṅṅa)
• Maltese: lumija f
• Manx: limon, limonagh
• Marathi: लिंबू (limbū)
• Megleno-Romanian: limonă f
• Middle English: lymon
• Mongolian: нимбэг (mn) (nimbeg)
• Nahuatl: limonxocotl
• Navajo: chʼil łitsooí díkʼǫ́zhígíí
• Norman: limaon m (Guernsey), limon m (Jersey)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: sitron (no) m

  Nynorsk: sitron m

• Persian: لیمون‎ (fa) (limun), لیمو‎ (fa) (limu)
• Polish: cytryna (pl) f
• Portuguese: limão (pt) m (European Portuguese), limão siciliano (Brazilian Portuguese)
• Punjabi: ਨਿੰਬੂ (pa) (nimbū)
• Romanian: lămâie (ro) f
• Romansch: citrona f
• Russian: лимо́н (ru) m (limón)
• Scots: leemon
• Scottish Gaelic: liomaid f
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: ли̏мӯн m

  Roman: lȉmūn (sh) m

• Sindhi: ليم‎
• Sinhalese: රට දෙහි (raṭa dehi)
• Slovak: citrón (sk) m
• Slovene: limona (sl) f
• Somali: liindhanaan
• Spanish: limón (es) m, citrón
• Swahili: ndimu (sw), limau (sw)
• Swedish: citron (sv) c
• Sylheti: ꠟꠦꠝ꠆ꠛꠥ (lembu)
• Tajik: лиму (limu), лимон (tg) (limon), лимӯ (tg) (limü)
• Tamil: எலுமிச்சம் பழம் (ta) (elumiccam paḻam)
• Taos: lìmunéna
• Tatar: лимон (limon)
• Telugu: నిమ్మకాయ (te) (nimmakāya)
• Thai: มะนาว (th) (má-naao)
• Tibetan: ལེ་མོན (le mon)
• Translingual: 🍋
• Tsonga: xikwavava
• Turkish: limon (tr)
• Turkmen: limon
• Ukrainian: лимо́н (uk) m (lymón)
• Urdu: نیبو‎ m (nībū)
• Uyghur: لىمون‎ (limon)
• Uzbek: limon (uz)
• Vietnamese: chanh (vi)
• Welsh: lemon (cy), lemwn (cy)
• West Frisian: sitroen
• White Hmong: txiv qaub
• Wolof: limoŋ
• Yiddish: לימענע‎ f (limene), ציטראָן‎ m (tsitron)

tree

• Armenian: կիտրոն (hy) (kitron), լիմոն (hy) (limon)
• Assamese: নেমু গছ (nemu gos)
• Basque: limoiondo
• Catalan: llimoner m, llimonera f
• Chamicuro: enopi
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 檸檬樹 (níngméngshù)

• Czech: citroník m
• Dhivehi: (lumbo)
• Dutch: citroenboom (nl)
• Ewe: mumueti n
• Finnish: sitruunapuu
• French: citronnier (fr) m
• Galician: limoeiro (gl) m, cidreira (gl) f
• German: Zitronenbaum (de) m, Zitrone (de) f
• Greek: λεμονιά (el) f (lemoniá)
• Italian: limone (it) m
• Kalmyk: нимбә (nimbä)

• Korean: 레몬 (ko) (remon), 레몬나무 (remonnamu)
• Macedonian: лимон m (limon)
• Malayalam: ചെറുനാരകം (ml) (ceṟunārakaṃ)
• Maltese: lumija
• Marathi: लिंबू (limbū)
• Nahuatl: limoncuahuitl
• Norman: limongni m (Jersey)
• Polish: drzewo cytrynowe n, cytryna (pl) f
• Portuguese: limoeiro (pt) m
• Romanian: lămâi (ro) m
• Russian: лимо́н (ru) m (limón)
• Slovene: limonovec m
• Spanish: limonero (es) m, limón (es) m
• Swahili: mdimu (sw)
• Swedish: citronträd n, citron (sv) c
• Turkish: limon (tr), limon ağacı
• Vietnamese: chanh (vi)

defective item

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Dutch: kat in de zak
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: susi (fi), maanantaikappale (fi)
• French: chiotte (fr) f, (Quebec) citron (fr) m
• Georgian: ბრაკი (braḳi)
• German: please add this translation if you can
• Greek: αποτυχία (el) f (apotychía)
• Italian: please add this translation if you can

• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Polish: rzęch (pl) m
• Portuguese: porcaria (pt) f
• Russian: фуфло́ (ru) n (fufló)
• Spanish: maula (es) f, porquería (es) f
• Swahili: ndimu (sw)
• Swedish: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: dandik (tr)
• Vietnamese: (noun +) ^{(please verify)} vô dụng

colour/color

• Catalan: llimona (ca)
• Dutch: citroengeel (nl)
• Finnish: sitruunankeltainen
• French: jaune citron (fr)
• Galician: limón (gl) m
• German: Zitronengelb n
• Greek: λεμονί (el) n (lemoní)
• Hungarian: citromsárga (hu)
• Irish: buí líomóide m
• Japanese: 檸檬色 (れもんいろ, remoniro)

• Latvian: citrondzeltena krāsa f
• Marathi: लिंबू n (limboo)
• Polish: cytrynowy (pl) m
• Portuguese: limão (pt) m
• Spanish: limón (es)
• Swahili: ndimu (sw)
• Swedish: citrongul (sv)
• Turkish: limon rengi, limoni (tr)
• Vietnamese: vàng canh

taste

• Danish: citronsmag c
• Dutch: citroensmaak
• Finnish: sitruuna (fi), sitruunan maku
• Galician: limón (gl) m
• Japanese: レモン味 (レモンあじ, remon aji)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: sitronsmak m

• Portuguese: limão (pt) m
• Spanish: (sabor) limón
• Swahili: ndimu (sw)
• Turkish: limoni (tr)
• Vietnamese: ^{(please verify)} vị chanh

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Catalan: ^{(please verify)} llimona (ca) f
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} lămâi (ro) m, ^{(please verify)} galben-verziu, ^{(please verify)} acru (ro)

• Turkish: sulu zırtlak (tr), zıvrak

See also

• adverse selection

Adjective

lemon (comparative more lemon, superlative most lemon)

1. Containing or having the flavour/flavor and/or scent of lemons.
2. Of the pale yellow colour/color of lemons.
3. (Cockney rhyming slang, from "lemon tart") Smart; cheeky, vocal.
   • 2009, Caitlin Moran, ‘Why I love paying tax’, The Times, 12 Oct 2009:

     Obviously Emin is not the first public figure to get lemon over tax increases.

Translations

having the flavour/flavor and/or scent of lemons

• Dutch: ^{(please verify)} citroen-
• Finnish: sitruunan makuinen, (prefix in a compound) sitruuna-
• French: ^{(please verify)} au citron
• German: compounds with Zitrone (de)
• Greek: λεμονί (el) (lemoní)
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} al limone
• Polish: cytrynowy (pl) m

• Portuguese: limoado
• Slovak: citrónový (sk) m
• Slovene: limonin m, limonov m
• Swahili: ndimu (sw)
• Swedish: compounds with citron (sv)
• Telugu: నిమ్మ (te) (nimma)
• Vietnamese: (có) vị chanh (flavor), (mùi) chanh (scent)

having the colour/color of lemons

• Danish: citrongul
• Dutch: citroengele (nl)
• Estonian: sidrunkollane
• Finnish: sitruunankeltainen, sitruunan värinen
• French: jaune citron (fr)
• German: zitronengelb (de)
• Greek: λεμονί (el) (lemoní)
• Latvian: citrondzeltens

• Polish: cytrynowy (pl) m
• Portuguese: limonado, limoado, alimonado, alimoado
• Romanian: galben-verziu
• Spanish: limonado, limón (es)
• Swahili: ndimu (sw)
• Swedish: citrongul (sv)
• Vietnamese: màu chanh

Verb

lemon (third-person singular simple present lemons, present participle lemoning, simple past and past participle lemoned)

1. (transitive) To flavour with lemon.

   You can start the vegetables cooking while you are lemoning the fish.

See also

• citrine
• citron
• citronella
• melissa
• fever grass
• Appendix:Colors

References

Anagrams

• Menlo, Monel, melon, nmole

---

Esperanto

Noun

lemon

1. accusative singular of lemo