ˈlemən n. 1 a a pale-yellow thick-skinned
oval citrus fruit with acidic
juice. b a
tree of
the species Citrus limon
which produces
this fruit. 2 a pale-yellow
colour. 3 colloq. a
person or
thing regarded as
feeble or
unsatisfactory or disappointing. ølemon
balm a bushy
plant, Melissa officinalis, with
leaves smelling
and tasting of lemon. lemon
curd (or cheese) a
conserve made from lemons,
butter, eggs, and
sugar, with the
consistency of
cream cheese. lemon
drop a boiled
sweet flavoured with lemon. lemon
geranium a lemon-scented
pelargonium, Pelargonium crispum. lemon
grass any fragrant tropical grass of the
genus Cymbopogon,
yielding an
oil smelling of lemon. lemon squash
Brit. a
soft drink made from lemons and
other ingredients,
often sold in concentrated
form. lemon-squeezer a
device for extracting the juice from a lemon. lemon
thyme a
herb,
Thymus citriodorus, with lemon-scented leaves used for
flavouring. lemon
verbena (or plant) a shrub, Lippia citriodora, with lemon-scented leaves. øølemony adj. [ME f. OF limon f.
Arab. lima:
cf. LIME(2)]