lemon

LEM-uhn/ˈlɛmən/

12 meanings of lemon

1
sour fruitnouncountable or uncountable
A yellow citrus fruit with sour, juicy flesh, or its juice used in food and drink.
A thin slice of lemon floated in the glass of iced tea.
The recipe calls for the zest of two ripe lemons.
UsageUse a lemon or two lemons for whole fruits. For portions or flavor, lemon often appears without an article: a slice of lemon.
2
citrus flavoredadjective
Flavored with lemon, or smelling of it.
The dessert ended on a bright lemon note that cut the richness.
Many cleaning sprays carry a sharp lemon scent.
Similarcitrus, citrusy, lemony
3
dudnounslangcountable or uncountable
A defective or inadequate item or person, especially a car.
Within a month the dealer admitted the truck was a lemon.
Critics called the gadget an expensive lemon that never worked as promised.
UsageOften turn out to be a lemon or be stuck with a lemon.
Similardud, clunker, flop, turkey, failure
Oppositepeach, gem, winner
Note
Slang for something that looks sound until it is put to use, and a car is its classic victim. Herman Wouk's The Caine Mutiny (1951) has a naval officer sum up his bad luck: "We're stuck with a lemon."
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
Herman Wouk wrote The Caine Mutiny, first published in 1951. archive.org
A naval officer, Ensign Willie Keith, says the quoted words while discussing their predicament under Captain Queeg. archive.org
4
citrus treenouncountable or uncountable
A semitropical evergreen tree, Citrus limon, that produces lemons.
The lemon thrives in warm climates and needs protection from frost.
Growers prune their lemons each season to encourage healthy fruit.
5
yellow (the color)nouncountable or uncountable
A fairly bright yellow, like that of a lemon's skin.
The designer paired deep navy with a vivid lemon.
On the paint chart, lemon sits between cream and gold.
Similaryellow, citron, canary
6
adjective
Pale yellow, like the skin of a ripe lemon.
The bridesmaids chose lemon dresses for the summer wedding.
Morning light gave the kitchen a warm lemon glow.
Similaryellow, canary, primrose
7
sharknouncountable or uncountable
A yellowish coastal shark of the species Negaprion brevirostris.
A large lemon cruised slowly through the mangrove shallows.
Researchers tagged several lemons to track their movements along the coast.
UsageMost often called a lemon shark.

Less common meanings

8
add citrusverbtransitive
To give food or drink the flavor of lemon.
The chef lemoned the sauce just before serving it.
Salt, pepper, and lemon the fillets generously, then grill them over a hot fire.
9
adult fan fictionnoundatedcountable or uncountable
A piece of fan fiction containing explicit sexual content.
He posted a lemon to the archive under a pseudonym.
This won't be a lemon simply because I can't see myself writing anything like that.
2002, Goku Girl, “[DBZ][FanFic][Yaoi] Saiya-jin no Suto-ri Ichi (part one)”
Note
A fandom label rather than a literary term, and now dated. In Usenet posts of the late 1990s it sat in brackets in the subject line beside [FanFic], and writers used it as a warning. Ian Blakeman's 2000 story announces "This story is a lemon" and turns away readers under 18. It works just as well in the negative, as a reassurance: "This won't be a lemon."
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 4 facts
Late-1990s Usenet subject lines placed [Lemon] beside [FanFic]; Wiktionary records an example dated April 18, 1997. en.wiktionary.org
Ian Blakeman's story, cited as a May 30, 2000 Usenet post, contains the quoted announcement. en.wiktionary.org
Writers used the label as a warning; Blakeman explicitly tells readers under 18 to turn away. en.wiktionary.org
The negative quotation is attested in Goku Girl's author's note, cited in a November 10, 2002 Usenet post. en.wiktionary.org
10
a kindnessnoundialectalCockneycountable or uncountable
A favor or good turn done for someone.
Do me a lemon and keep an eye on the van while I pop into the shop.
Do me a lemon and watch the stall for ten minutes while I nip to the bank.
Similarfavor, kindness, turn, service
Note
Cockney rhyming slang at work: lemon flavor rhymes with favor, and the rhyming half is dropped, leaving only lemon. Its natural home is the scornful retort Do me a lemon!, meaning "do me a favor" in its ironic sense: you must be joking. A wildly inflated price or a tall excuse draws exactly that reply. The retort is the safest way to use it. The word belongs to Cockney slang and sounds out of place in formal speech.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
Lemon meaning favor is Cockney rhyming slang shortened from lemon flavour. en.wiktionary.org
Do me a lemon derives from do me a favour and expresses disbelief. en.wiktionary.org
11
adjectivedialectalCockney
Smart and cheeky; given to speaking one's mind.
Obviously Emin is not the first public figure to get lemon over tax increases.
2009, Caitlin Moran, “Why I love paying tax”
Similarcheeky, sassy, saucy, impudent, lippy
Oppositemeek, respectful, polite
Note
A second piece of Cockney rhyming slang, built like the slang for a favor: lemon tart rhymes with smart, and only lemon survives. Caitlin Moran, writing in The Times in 2009, uses it in the phrase get lemon, meaning to turn cheeky and outspoken, in that case over tax increases. Because the rhyme is hidden, a listener who does not know lemon tart will hear only the fruit.
Checked 30 Oct 2026 · 4 facts
The comparison with lemon meaning a favor is another example of Cockney rhyming slang. en.wiktionary.org
Lemon tart is Cockney rhyming slang for smart. brightongirls.gdst.net
Dropping the rhyming component hides the expression's meaning from an unfamiliar listener. en.wikipedia.org
Wiktionary attributes get lemon over tax increases to Caitlin Moran's 2009 Times article, under the sense smart, cheeky, vocal. en.wiktionary.org
12
noun
A surface formed by rotating a circular arc of less than 180° around the line joining its two endpoints.

Practice

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Origin

The word came into English through Middle English lymon, which was taken from Old French lymon ("citrus"). The French word came from Arabic laymūn or Persian limon, and further back from Persian limu and Sanskrit nimbū ("lime"). It and lime are likely doublets. The fandom sense comes from Cream Lemon, an erotic anime series.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 5 facts

English lemon derives through Middle English lymon from Old French lymon, glossed as citrus. en.wiktionary.org
Old French lymon derives from Arabic laymūn or Persian limon, ultimately through Persian limu. en.wiktionary.org
Persian limu derives from Sanskrit nimbū, meaning lime. en.wiktionary.org
Lemon and lime are etymological doublets. en.wiktionary.org
The fandom sense derives from Cream Lemon, an erotic anime series. en.wiktionary.org