lemon

From Middle English lymon, from Old French lymon (“citrus”), from Arabic لَيْمُون‎ (laymūn) or Ottoman Turkish لیمون‎ (limon), ultimately from Persian لیمو‎ (limu).[1] Cognate with Sanskrit निम्बू (nimbū, “lime”). Doublet of lime.

The fandom sense is named after the erotic anime series Cream Lemon.[2]

• enPR: lĕ'mən, IPA^(key): /ˈlɛ.mən/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛmən
• (US)
  • (pin–pen merger) IPA^(key): /ˈlɪ.mɪn/

lemon (plural lemons)

1. A yellowish citrus fruit.
2. A semitropical evergreen tree, Citrus limon, that bears such fruits.
3. A taste or flavour/flavor of lemons.
4. A more or less bright shade of yellow associated with lemon fruits.

   lemon flesh:  

   lemon rind:  

5. (slang) A defective or inadequate item or individual.

   He didn’t realise until he’d paid for it that the car was a lemon.

   • 1951, Herman Wouk, chapter 20, in The Caine Mutiny, page 243:

     “ […] the Navy's supposed to give me a ship that goes, and a captain that fights—— That's what all this muck is for, isn't it?”
     “Look, it's an old story by now. We're stuck with a lemon. Misfortune of war. […] ”

6. (Cockney rhyming slang, shortened from “lemon flavour”) Favor.

   A thousand quid for that motor? Do me a lemon! I could get it for half that.

7. (fandom slang) A piece of fanfiction involving explicit sex.
   • 1997 April 18, Neko, “[Dominion][FanFic][Lemon] A Typical Night at the Station”, in rec.arts.anime.creative, Usenet‎:

     I'd really like to know what people think of this and whether I should carry on writing lemons or go and hide under a rock somewhere.

   • 2000 May 30, Ian Blakeman, “[Eva][FanFic][Lemon] A day at Misatos appartment^[sic]”, in rec.arts.anime.creative, Usenet‎:

     WARNING: This story is a lemon and must be viewed with great care. If you are either under the age of 18, think graphic sex is discussing^[sic] or you know what my writing is like you should turn away now.

   • 2002 November 10, Goku Girl, “[DBZ][FanFic][Yaoi] Saiya-jin no Suto-ri Ichi (part one)”, in rec.arts.anime.creative, Usenet‎:

     This won't be a lemon simply because I can't see myself writing anything like that.

• (defective item): bomb
• (erotic fanfiction): PWP, smutfic

• fruit
  • citrus

• limonene

• 🍋
• adverse selection

lemon (comparative more lemon, superlative most lemon)

1. Containing or having the flavour/flavor and/or scent of lemons.
2. Of the pale yellow colour/color of lemons.
3. (Cockney rhyming slang, from "lemon tart") Smart; cheeky, vocal.
   • 2009, Caitlin Moran, ‘Why I love paying tax’, The Times, 12 Oct 2009:

     Obviously Emin is not the first public figure to get lemon over tax increases.

lemon (third-person singular simple present lemons, present participle lemoning, simple past and past participle lemoned)

1. (transitive) To flavour with lemon.

   You can start the vegetables cooking while you are lemoning the fish.

• citrine
• citron
• citronella
• melissa
• fever grass
• Appendix:Colors

• Menlo, Monel, melon, nmole

• IPA^(key): [ˈlemon]
• Rhymes: -emon
• Hyphenation: lem‧on

lemon

1. accusative singular of lemo

• lemwn

From English lemon.

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɛmɔn/

lemon m (plural lemonau, not mutable)

1. lemon

lemon

1. lemon.