lemon

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A yellowish citrus fruit.
2. (countable, uncountable) A semitropical evergreen tree, Citrus limon, that bears such fruits.
3. (countable, uncountable) A more or less bright shade of yellow associated with lemon fruits.
4. (rare, uncountable) Lemon juice.
5. (countable, uncountable) A lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris).
6. (countable, slang, uncountable) A defective or inadequate item or individual.
7. (Cockney, countable, slang, uncountable) Favor.
8. (countable, dated, slang, uncountable) A piece of fanfiction involving explicit sex.
9. (countable, uncountable) The surface of revolution of a circular arc of angle less than 180° rotated about the straight line passing through the arc’s two endpoints.

Adj

1. Containing or having the flavour/flavor and/or scent of lemons.
2. Of the pale yellow colour/color of lemons.
3. (Cockney, slang) Smart; cheeky, vocal.

Verb

To flavour with lemon.

Synonyms

lime

citrus

lemon tree

lemon yellow

citron

stinker

maize

gamboge

Citrus limon

citrus fruit

negus

oblate

orange

🍊

piquancy

raciness

simpleton

tartness

ponzu

Citrus aurantifolia

Citrus

lemonwood

Citronnier

limoniere

linonero

astringence

Key lime

citreous

citric

gay

grapefruit

grass

lemony

lesbian

limo

loser

Translations

citron

🍋

limone

🍋

limón

🍋

Zitrone

🍋

citroen

🍋

limão

🍋

λεμόνι

limon

🍋

llimona

🍋

citronnier

limonero

ليمون

🍋

limoeiro

🍋

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈlɛm.ən/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: lymon

In summary

Etymology tree
Sanskrit निम्बू (nimbū)bor.
Persian لیموbor.
Arabic ليمونbor.
Old French lymonbor.
Middle English lymon
English lemon
Inherited from Middle English lymon, from Old French lymon (“citrus”), from Arabic لَيْمُون (laymūn) or Persian لیمون (limon), from Persian لیمو (limu), from Sanskrit निम्बू (nimbū, “lime”), ultimately from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *limaw or Munda. Likely a doublet of lime.
The fandom sense is named after the erotic anime series Cream Lemon.