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lemon sole

lemon sole

1 5.7
A flat fish with delicate flesh found in European and North Atlantic waters
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : lenguado limón
  • I ordered lemon sole for dinner last night.

Examples

  • The chef served grilled lemon sole with a fresh herb butter sauce.

  • Many seafood lovers appreciate the delicate flavor of lemon sole.

  • Fishermen reported an abundant catch of lemon sole along the coast this winter.

  • The restaurant specializes in lemon sole dishes.

  • For dinner, we had roasted lemon sole served with a light lemon sauce.

  • The chef prepared a delicate fillet of lemon sole alongside fresh vegetables.

  • At the seafood restaurant, I ordered lemon sole for its mild flavor and tender texture.

Synonyms

sole
vslemon sole
4 4.7

The meat of a flat fish often cooked and served as food

is one species rather than the general food term for many flatfish
Microstomus kitt
vslemon sole
  • Specialized
9.9

A flat fish from Europe with tender white flesh often eaten

is the everyday common name rather than the scientific term
European flatfish
vslemon sole
  • UK
4.1

A flat fish found in European seas that people eat

is a specific species rather than a general regional group

Surface Forms

lemon sole singular
lemon soles plural

Morphology

lemon + sole

The compound is a simple noun+noun composition where 'sole' names the flatfish and 'lemon' functions as a modifier indicating color/appearance; a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a kind of sole, likely yellowish/pale. This is a literal, descriptive naming pattern (common across languages) rather than an idiom, so the meaning is directly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Lemon sole probably gets its name from the pale yellow colour of the fish — the lemon — and from it being a flat fish called a sole. That's why today lemon sole means a pale flat fish people eat.