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Lemon

 - 7 dictionary results

lem⋅on

[lem-uhn]
–noun
1. the yellowish, acid fruit of a subtropical citrus tree, Citrus limon.
2. the tree itself.
3. lemon yellow.
4. Informal. a person or thing that proves to be defective, imperfect, or unsatisfactory; dud: His car turned out to be a lemon.
–adjective
5. made of or with lemon.
6. having the color, taste, or odor of lemon.

Origin:
1350–1400; 1905–10 for def. 4; < ML lemōnium; r. ME lymon < ML līmō, (s. līmōn-) < Pers līmū, līmun


lem⋅on⋅ish, adjective
lem⋅on⋅like, lem⋅on⋅y, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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lem·on   (lěm'ən)   
n.  
    1. A spiny, Asian evergreen tree (Citrus limon) widely cultivated for its yellow, egg-shaped fruit.

    2. The fruit of this tree, having a yellow aromatic rind and juicy, acid pulp.

  1. Lemon yellow.

  2. Informal One that is unsatisfactory or defective: Their new car turned out to be a lemon.

adj.  
  1. Lemon-yellow.

    1. Made from lemons.

    2. Tasting or smelling like lemons.


[Middle English limon, from Old French, from Old Italian limone, from Arabic laymūn, līmūn, from Persian līmūn.]
lem'on·y adj.
Word History: Although we know neither where the lemon was first grown nor when it first came to Europe, we know from its name that it came to us from the Middle East because we can trace its etymological path. One of the earliest occurrences of our word is found in a Middle English customs document of 1420-1421. The Middle English word limon goes back to Old French limon, showing that yet another delicacy passed into England through France. The Old French word probably came from Italian limone, another step on the route that leads back to the Arabic word laymūn or līmūn, which comes from the Persian word līmūn.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

lemon  (1)
type of citrus fruit, c.1400, from O.Fr. limon "citrus fruit," from O.Prov., from Ar. laimun or Pers. limu(n), generic terms for citrus fruits (compare lime); cognate with Skt. nimbu "the lime." Slang meaning "a Quaalude" is 1960s, from Lemmon, name of a pharmaceutical company that once manufactured the drug. Lemonade is first recorded 1663, from Fr. limonade; earlier Eng. spelling was lemonado (c.1640) with false Sp. ending.

lemon  (2)
"worthless thing," 1909, Amer.Eng. slang; from lemon (1), perhaps via criminal slang sense of "a person who is a loser, a simpleton," which is perhaps from the notion of someone a sharper can "suck the juice out of." A pool hall hustle was called a lemon game (1908); while to hand someone a lemon was British slang (1906) for "to pass off a sub-standard article as a good one." Or it simply may be a metaphor for something which "leaves a bad taste in one's mouth."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Financial Dictionary

Lemon

A very disappointing investment. Your expected return wasn't even close to being achieved.

Investopedia Commentary

Just like the used car that breaks down while driving out of the lot, these investments leave a bitter taste.

See also: Expected Return, Underperform

Investopedia.com. Copyright © 1999-2005 - All rights reserved. Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc.
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Financial Dictionary

lemon

A poorly performing investment. Many technology stocks became lemons during the 2000 and 2001 bear market.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: lem·on
Pronunciation: 'lem-&n
Function: noun
: an acid fruit that contains citric acid and vitamin C, is botanically a many-seeded paleyellow oblong berry, and is produced by a stout thorny tree of the genus Citrus (C. limon); also : this tree —lemon adjective
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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