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citrus

[si-truhs]

Origin

any small tree or spiny shrub of the genus Citrus, of the rue family, including the lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, grapefruit, citron, kumquat, and shaddock, widely cultivated for fruit or grown as an ornamental.

the tart-to-sweet, pulpy fruit of any of these trees or shrubs, having a characteristically smooth, shiny, stippled skin.

adjective

Also, cit·rous. of or pertaining to such trees or shrubs, or their fruit.

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Citrus is always a great word to know.

So is quincunx. Does it mean:

an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

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Origin:
1815–25; < Neo-Latin, Latin: citron tree

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins

World English Dictionary

citrus (ˈsɪtrəs)

—n , pl -ruses
1.	any tree or shrub of the tropical and subtropical rutaceous genus Citrus, which includes the orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, citron, and calamondin

—*adj*
2.	of, relating to, or belonging to the genus Citrus or to the fruits of plants of this genus

[C19: from Latin: citrus tree, sandarac tree; related to Greek kedros cedar]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

citrus

1825, from Mod.L. genus name, from L. citron, name of a tree with lemon-like fruit, the first citrus fruit available in the West. The name, like the tree, is probably of Asiatic origin. But Klein traces it to Gk. kedros "cedar," and writes that the change of dr into tr shows that the word came from Greek

EXPAND

into Latin through the medium of the Etruscans. Citric first recorded 1800.

COLLAPSE

American Heritage

Science Dictionary

citrus (sĭt'rəs) Pronunciation Key

Any of various evergreen trees or shrubs bearing fruit with juicy flesh and a thick rind. Citrus trees are native to southern and southeast Asia but are grown in warm climates around the world. Many species have spines. The orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit are citrus trees.
The usually edible fruit of one of these trees or shrubs.

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citrus

cit·rus