lemon

lemon — noun

1. A bright yellow oval citrus fruit with thick skin and a notably sour flavour, or

1.nounA2
Definition

A bright yellow oval citrus fruit with thick skin and a notably sour flavour, or the tree that grows this fruit.

Example

Ife sliced a fresh lemon into her tea to give it a tangy taste.

countable: a + fresh + lemon

The lemon tree in Minh's backyard produced over forty fruits this summer.

lemon + noun: lemon tree

Common collocations
  • fresh lemon
  • lemon slice
  • lemon zest
  • lemon peel
  • lemon juice
  • lemon tree
  • squeeze a lemon
  • half a lemon
Synonyms
  • citrus fruit

    broader category that includes oranges, limes, and grapefruits

  • citron

    a specific related fruit, larger and less juicy than a lemon; uncommon in everyday use

Grammar Patterns

lemon + noun (e.g. lemon juice, lemon zest)

a + lemon

Common Mistakes

I bought a lemon at the store for the defective car.
I bought a car that turned out to be a lemon.
Sense 4 (defective thing) is a noun phrase applied to a product, not the fruit itself.
Lemon is very sour.' (when referring to the fruit in general)
Lemons are very sour.
The fruit sense is countable; use the plural for generic statements.

2. The tart liquid that comes from a lemon fruit, or a drink produced by mixing tha

2.nounB1
Definition

The tart liquid that comes from a lemon fruit, or a drink produced by mixing that liquid with water, often with sugar added.

Example

Camila ordered a glass of fresh lemon juice at the café.

uncountable: a glass of + lemon juice

Hiro mixed lemon and honey to make a soothing drink for his sore throat.

Common collocations
  • fresh lemon juice
  • lemon and honey
  • lemon drink
  • bottled lemon juice
  • squeezed lemon
  • hot water with lemon
Synonyms
  • lemonade

    specifically refers to the sweetened drink, not pure lemon juice

  • citrus juice

    broader category that includes orange and grapefruit juice

Grammar Patterns

a glass of + lemon (juice)

lemon + in + drink name

Usage Note

Uncountable when referring to the liquid itself ('a bottle of lemon') but countable when referring to individual servings ('two lemons, please' at a drink stand is informal but heard).

Common Mistakes

I drink lemon every morning.' (ambiguous)
I drink lemon juice every morning.' or 'I drink hot water with lemon every morning.
Without 'juice' or context, the listener may think of the whole fruit.

3. A light yellow shade that looks like the outer skin of a ripe lemon.

3.nounB1
Definition

A light yellow shade that looks like the outer skin of a ripe lemon.

Example

Yuna painted her kitchen walls a bright shade of lemon.

countable pattern: a shade/tone of + lemon

The bridesmaids wore dresses in a soft lemon colour that matched the spring flowers.

Common collocations
  • lemon yellow
  • pale lemon
  • bright lemon
  • soft lemon
  • lemon shade
  • lemon tone
Synonyms
  • lemon yellow

    the full colour name, slightly more precise than 'lemon' alone

  • pale yellow

    more general term that includes other light yellow shades

  • canary yellow

    brighter and more vivid than lemon

Grammar Patterns

a shade / tone of + lemon

pale / bright + lemon

4. A manufactured item, especially a vehicle or electronic device, that is faulty a

4.nounB2
Definition

A manufactured item, especially a vehicle or electronic device, that is faulty and fails to operate correctly.

Example

Christopher's used car was a total lemon; it broke down twice in one week.

informal: a + total + lemon for emphasis

The new tablet was a lemon — the screen went black when Cyrus turned it on.

Common collocations
  • total lemon
  • real lemon
  • absolute lemon
  • lemon law
  • buy a lemon
  • turn out to be a lemon
Synonyms
  • dud

    informal; broader — can describe a plan, performance, or firework that fails

  • clunker

    informal; specifically of old, unreliable cars

  • defective product

    neutral, formal term without the informal flavour of 'lemon'

Antonyms
  • gem

    informal; something excellent or reliable, opposite of a lemon

Grammar Patterns

a + (adjective) + lemon

be + a + lemon

Usage Note

Informal register. Most common with cars and electronics — the phrase 'lemon law' exists in American legal contexts to protect buyers of defective cars. Distinguish from sense 1 (fruit): if the subject is a man-made product, this is the intended reading.

Common Mistakes

This apple is a lemon.' (if meaning defective)
This smartphone is a lemon.
'lemon' as a defective product applies only to manufactured items, never to food.

5. A foolish or silly person, often in a particular situation where they have made

5.nounB2
Definition

A foolish or silly person, often in a particular situation where they have made an embarrassing mistake.

Example

Maja called herself a lemon after locking her keys in the car again.

pattern: call + oneself + a lemon

Don't be such a lemon — the supermarket closed an hour ago.

informal imperative: don't be a lemon

Common collocations
  • feel like a lemon
  • look a lemon
  • such a lemon
  • a bit of a lemon
Synonyms
  • fool

    neutral register, broader in use

  • idiot

    stronger and more insulting than 'lemon'

  • simpleton

    dated, implies lack of intelligence rather than a momentary mistake

Grammar Patterns

be + a + lemon

feel + like + a + lemon

Usage Note

Informal and mildly derogatory, but softer than words like 'idiot' or 'moron'. British English — uncommon in American speech. Typically used after a specific mistake rather than as a permanent label for a person.

Common Mistakes

He is a lemon' (as a permanent label).
I felt such a lemon when I forgot the address.
Usually describes a one-time embarrassing situation, not a personality trait.

lemon — adjective

Word family

  • lemonade
    nounB1
  • lemony
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Lemon, lime, citrus, and sour occupy different levels of specificity. Lemon and lime are both specific citrus fruits, but a lime is small, green, and has a more bitter-tart flavour than lemon's sharper sourness. Citrus is the overarching category that includes lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits — it refers either to the fruit family or to the generic flavour profile. Sour describes the basic taste sensation that lemons and limes share, but sour is an adjective, whereas the others are nouns. In everyday speech, 'add some lemon to the fish' specifies the ingredient; 'add some citrus' covers any fruit from that family; and 'it tastes sour' describes the flavour without naming the source. Ordering a 'lime soda' and a 'lemon soda' at a Taiwanese drink stand will get you two very different drinks — the distinction matters.

lemonlimecitrussour

Common collocations

Phrases

  • squeeze a lemon
  • slice of lemon
  • lemon-based

Etymology

PersianArabicOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'lemon' entered English through Old French 'limon', which came from Arabic 'laymūn', ultimately tracing back to Persian 'līmū'. The term originally referred broadly to any citrus fruit before narrowing specifically to the bright yellow fruit we know today. The informal meaning of a 'defective product' appeared in early 20th-century American English, possibly drawing on the idea that a sour, disappointing fruit is a fitting metaphor for a faulty purchase.