lime

/laim/

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Word: Lime

Part of Speech: Noun and Verb

Basic Definition:

1. As a Noun:

   • Fruit: Lime refers to a small, green, acidic fruit from lime trees. This fruit is often used in cooking and drinks for its tart flavor.
   • Tree: Lime can also refer to various types of trees in the genus Tilia, which have heart-shaped leaves and fragrant yellow flowers. These trees can produce valuable wood.
   • Sticky Substance: Lime can mean a sticky adhesive used to catch small birds by smearing it on branches.
   • Chemical: It is also a white crystalline substance called calcium oxide, used in construction and agriculture.

2. As a Verb:

   • To "lime" means to cover something with lime (the chemical or the substance) to help plants grow, or to spread birdlime on branches to catch birds.

Usage Instructions:

• As a Noun: Use "lime" when talking about the fruit, the tree, or the chemical substance. For example, "I squeezed a lime into my drink."
• As a Verb: Use "lime" when describing the action of applying lime to soil or branches. For example, "We need to lime the lawn to improve its growth."

Examples:

• Noun: "I love adding lime to my fish tacos for extra flavor."
• Noun: "The lime tree in my garden attracts many bees with its beautiful flowers."
• Verb: "Farmers often lime their fields to enhance soil quality."

Advanced Usage:

• In cooking, lime juice is often used in marinades, cocktails (like margaritas), and desserts (like key lime pie).
• In horticulture, liming is a common practice to correct soil acidity and add nutrients.

Word Variants:

• Limey (noun): A colloquial term for a British person, especially used by Americans.
• Limeade (noun): A drink made from lime juice, sugar, and water.
• Limestone (noun): A type of rock that is primarily made of calcium carbonate, often used in construction.

Different Meanings:

• "Lime" can refer to both a fruit and a chemical substance, so the context is important to understand what is meant.
• In some regions, "lime" may also refer to a type of lemon, but traditionally it means the green fruit.

Synonyms:

• For the fruit: Citrus (general term for citrus fruits), Lime fruit.
• For the chemical: Calcium oxide.
• For the tree: Linden (another name for Tilia trees).

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no widely known idioms specifically using "lime," but you might hear phrases like "squeeze the lime," meaning to get the most out of a situation.
• Phrasal Verb: "Lime over" could be used informally to describe applying lime to a surface.

Summary:

"Lime" is a versatile word in English with different meanings depending on the context. It can describe a delicious fruit, a type of tree, a useful chemical substance, or an action related to gardening or bird catching.

Academic

Noun

1. the green acidic fruit of any of various lime trees
2. any of various deciduous trees of the genus Tilia with heart-shaped leaves and drooping cymose clusters of yellowish often fragrant flowers; several yield valuable timber
3. any of various related trees bearing limes
4. a sticky adhesive that is smeared on small branches to capture small birds
5. a white crystalline oxide used in the production of calcium hydroxide
6. a caustic substance produced by heating limestone

Verb

1. cover with lime so as to induce growth
   • lime the lawn
2. spread birdlime on branches to catch birds

Synonyms

• linden
• linden tree
• basswood
• lime tree
• Citrus aurantifolia
• birdlime
• calcium oxide
• quicklime
• calx
• calcined lime
• fluxing lime
• unslaked lime
• burnt lime
• calcium hydroxide
• slaked lime
• hydrated lime
• calcium hydrate
• caustic lime
• lime hydrate