lemon-squeezer

She uses a lemon-squeezer to make fresh lemonade.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Kitchen utensil: A "lemon-squeezer" is a hand-held tool designed specifically for extracting juice from lemons (or other citrus fruits). It typically consists of a ridged, cone-shaped or half-sphere surface on which the lemon half is pressed and twisted, allowing the juice to flow through holes into a container.
   • Figurative use (rare): Informally, "lemon-squeezer" may refer to a device that presses or compresses something, likened to the action of squeezing a lemon.

Usage Examples

• Noun (kitchen utensil):
  • She used a lemon-squeezer to make fresh lemonade. (She employed the tool to extract juice from lemons for a drink.)
  • The old-fashioned lemon-squeezer was made of glass and had a wooden handle. (The utensil was constructed from glass and wood, typical of earlier designs.)

Advanced Usage

• "lemon-squeezer" as a compound noun: This word is almost exclusively used as a simple compound noun referring to the kitchen tool. It is rarely used in figurative or idiomatic expressions.
• Contextual note: In some dialects, a "lemon-squeezer" may be called a "juicer" or "citrus press," but the term "lemon-squeezer" specifically emphasizes the manual action of squeezing.

Variants and Related Words

• Lemon squeezer (alternate spelling): The same tool, sometimes written as two separate words.
  • He bought a stainless steel lemon squeezer for the restaurant. (He purchased a metallic version of the same utensil.)
• Squeezer (n): A general term for any device that squeezes, often used for citrus fruits.
  • The orange squeezer worked faster than the lemon-squeezer. (A broader term comparing citrus tools.)
• Squeeze (v): The action performed with a lemon-squeezer.
  • You need to squeeze the lemon firmly to get all the juice. (The verb describing the tool's function.)

Synonyms

• Juicer: A device for extracting juice from fruits, often more general or electric.
  • An electric juicer is faster than a manual lemon-squeezer. (A synonym emphasizing a different type of tool.)
• Citrus press: A tool specifically for pressing citrus fruits, similar in function.
  • The citrus press was heavy and made of cast iron. (A synonym with a focus on pressing rather than squeezing.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Squeeze out: To extract liquid by pressing, often used with a lemon-squeezer.
  • She squeezed out the last drops of lemon juice using the squeezer. (The action of extracting juice completely.)
• Press down: To apply force downward, as when using a lemon-squeezer.
  • Press down firmly on the lemon half with the squeezer. (The physical motion required.)

Related Idioms

• Squeeze the lemon dry: To extract everything possible from a situation or resource (metaphorical, not directly using "lemon-squeezer").
  • The company squeezed the lemon dry by cutting all expenses. (A figurative idiom using the concept of squeezing.)
• When life gives you lemons, make lemonade: A proverb about turning adversity into opportunity, tangentially related to the tool.
  • With a lemon-squeezer, you can easily make lemonade from life's lemons. (A playful extension of the idiom.)