lemon
6 synonyms and 0 antonyms for lemon, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A yellow, oval citrus fruit with sour juice.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use lemon
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From Old French lymon, ultimately from Arabic laymūn, tracing back through Persian and Sanskrit — a distant cousin of the word lime.
Full origin of lemon →Frequently asked questions
What does “lemon” mean?
The word “lemon” means a yellow, oval citrus fruit with sour juice. In plain terms, usually the citrus fruit, but informally also a broken or disappointing product, especially a faulty car.
How do you pronounce “lemon”?
“Lemon” is pronounced LEH-muhn (/ˈlɛmən/ in IPA).
How do you use “lemon” in a sentence?
Here is “lemon” used in a sentence: “Squeeze a lemon over the fish before serving.”
What is another word for “lemon”?
Words with a similar meaning to “lemon” include lemon yellow.
What part of speech is “lemon”?
Depending on how it is used, “lemon” can be a noun and an adjective.
Where does the word “lemon” come from?
The word “lemon” comes from Old French. From Old French lymon, ultimately from Arabic laymūn, tracing back through Persian and Sanskrit — a distant cousin of the word lime.
Is “lemon” a common word?
“Lemon” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “lemon” have?
“Lemon” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a yellow, oval citrus fruit with sour juice.
What is the difference between a lemon and a lime?
A lemon is a yellow, oval citrus fruit with sour juice, while a lime is typically smaller, green, and slightly more bitter or tart. The most obvious everyday difference is that lemons are yellow and limes are green.
What words commonly go with lemon?
As a fruit, lemon pairs with words like juice, zest, slice, and wedge, as in a squeeze of lemon. It also names the colour lemon yellow and appears in the idiom when life gives you lemons.