Meaning & use
citrus
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Meanings
noununcountable
a group of juicy fruits with thick skins and sour flesh, such as oranges, lemons, and limes.
Grammar: Uncountable when naming the group: a lot of citrus, not "many citruses."
Patterns
- grow citrus
- a citrus grower
- the citrus industry
Florida and California are famous for growing citrus.
The market sells citrus from several countries.
A bowl of citrus sat on the kitchen counter.
nouncountable
a tree or shrub that produces these fruits.
Grammar: Countable for the plant: a citrus, several citruses; in technical writing often citrus trees.
Patterns
- plant a citrus
- prune a citrus
They planted a citrus in the sunny corner of the yard.
Citruses can be grown indoors in cold climates.
adjectivebefore a noun
coming from or tasting of these fruits.
Grammar: Used before a noun: citrus flavor, citrus peel; it does not usually stand alone after a verb.
Patterns
- citrus flavor
- citrus peel
- citrus notes
The drink has a bright citrus flavor.
Add citrus peel to the sauce for freshness.
Her perfume opens with citrus notes.
Word forms
| plural | citruses |
|---|
Common combinations
- citrus fruit
- Citrus fruit is rich in vitamin C.
- citrus juice
- Brush the fish with citrus juice before grilling.
- citrus grove
- We drove past a citrus grove on the way south.
- citrus flavor
- The candy has a strong citrus flavor.
- citrus peel
- Dry the citrus peel and use it in tea.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- citric adjective
- relating to the acid found in citrus fruits.
- citron noun
- a large thick-skinned citrus fruit, usually candied.
Commonly confused: citrus or citron?
citrus vs citron
Citron is one particular large citrus fruit; citrus is the whole group that contains it.
Practice
Which sentence uses "citrus" correctly?
Choose one answer.
Citrus is uncountable when it names the group of fruits or plants, so "grows citrus" is right. Option A treats it as a countable item, and C and D use it as an animal or a verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “citrus”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.