sweet lemon

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A citrus fruit like a lemon but mild and low in acid, with a sweetish taste; also called sweet lime.

   Grammar: Countable: 'a sweet lemon,' 'two sweet lemons.' The fruit itself is usually countable, but the juice or flavor is uncountable.

   Patterns

   • a sweet lemon
   • sweet lemon juice
   • the juice of a sweet lemon

   She squeezed a sweet lemon into the water to make a refreshing drink.

   Unlike ordinary lemons, sweet lemons can be eaten raw without making you wince.

   The market sells sweet lemons alongside oranges and limes.

2. 2nouncountable

   The tree that bears this fruit, grown in warm climates.

   Grammar: Countable when referring to the tree: 'a sweet lemon in the garden.'

   Patterns

   • plant a sweet lemon
   • a sweet lemon tree

   They planted a sweet lemon near the kitchen door so they could pick fruit easily.

   The sweet lemon thrives in sandy soil and full sun.

Word forms

Common combinations

sweet lemon juice

Sweet lemon juice is often mixed with salt and soda water.

a slice of sweet lemon

He added a slice of sweet lemon to his tea.

sweet lemon tree

The sweet lemon tree produced fruit all winter.

fresh sweet lemons

Look for firm, fresh sweet lemons with glossy skin.

Synonyms and how they differ

sweet lime

The usual name in many regions; 'sweet lemon' is more common in South Asian and Middle Eastern markets.

mosambi

A South Asian name for the same fruit, used especially in Indian English.

Commonly confused: sweet lemon or lemon? sweet lemon or lime?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “sweet lemon”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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