citron

citron — noun

1. A large, pale-yellow citrus fruit with a very thick, bumpy rind that has a mild,

1.noun
Definition

A large, pale-yellow citrus fruit with a very thick, bumpy rind that has a mild, lightly sour taste and very little juicy flesh, cultivated mainly for its aromatic peel used in preserves and baking. The same word also refers to the evergreen tree whose fruit this is — Citrus medica.

Example

The candied citron peel gives the fruitcake a sweet, floral scent and a chewy texture.

collocation: candied citron peel

Citrons have much thicker rinds than lemons and contain very little edible flesh inside.

comparative structure: citrons vs lemons

Common collocations
  • candied citron
  • citron peel
  • preserved citron
  • citron tree
  • citron fruit

Usage Note

Citrons are rarely eaten fresh because they have almost no juice. Almost all commercial citron fruit is grown for its rind, which is candied or preserved for use in baked goods and holiday recipes.

Common Mistakes

I squeezed a citron to make lemonade.
I squeezed a lemon to make lemonade.
Citrons contain very little juice and are not used for drinks.
This lemon has a very thick bumpy skin — it must be overripe.
This citron has a very thick bumpy skin
it is a different fruit from a lemon.' — Citrons and lemons are separate citrus species with different rind thickness.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Lemon, pomelo, grapefruit, and citron are all citrus fruits, but they serve different uses in the kitchen. A citron is larger than a lemon and has a noticeably thicker, bumpier rind with almost no juicy segments inside — it is never eaten fresh like a grapefruit. Lemons are valued for their tart juice and zest; pomelos and grapefruits are eaten for their sweet-tart flesh. Citrons, by contrast, are grown almost solely for their thick, aromatic peel, which is candied or preserved. For example: 'She added candied citron peel to the fruitcake, not lemon zest.' 'Unlike a grapefruit, a citron has no segments to scoop out for breakfast.'

lemon ↗pomelograpefruit

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • candied citron
  • preserved citron
  • citron tree
  • citron peel
  • citron fruit

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Citron entered English from French citron, which came from Latin citrus, the name for the citron tree. The fruit was brought to Europe from its native region in South Asia and Southeast Asia, and its name spread through Mediterranean languages alongside the fruit itself.