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Glite Dictionary
bergamot orange

bergamot orange

7.0
A small citrus tree from Italy with pear-shaped fruit whose oil flavors tea and perfumes
  • noun
  • /ˈbɜrɡəˌmɒt ˈɔrɪndʒ/
translation icon : naranja bergamota
  • Farmers in southern Italy cultivate the bergamot orange for both its fruit and fragrance.

Examples

  • The essential oil of the bergamot orange is a key ingredient in many perfumes.

  • The bergamot orange tree thrives in sunny climates.

  • Earl Grey tea is flavored with the oil of the bergamot orange.

  • Many people love the scent of bergamot oranges.

  • The bergamot orange is often used to create the distinctive flavor of Earl Grey tea.

  • She enjoys using the fragrant oil from the bergamot orange in her homemade perfumes.

  • In Italy, the bergamot orange tree thrives in the warm coastal climate.

Synonyms

bergamot
vsbergamot orange
2 7.9

A small fruit like an orange with a strong, fresh scent used to flavor tea and perfumes

focuses on Italian origin and aromatic oil use rather than the tea example
Citrus bergamia
vsbergamot orange
  • Specialized
8.4

A small Italian tree with pear-shaped fruit whose oil flavors tea and makes perfume

is the everyday name used for scent and flavor not the scientific term

Surface Forms

bergamot orange singular
bergamot oranges plural

Morphology

bergamot + orange

This is a straightforward noun–noun compound: 'bergamot' (a fragrant citrus) combined with 'orange' yields a specific type of orange/tree with aromatic fruit. The meaning is compositionally derived and follows common compounding patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Bergamot orange may come from a Turkish phrase meaning 'lord's pear' because the small fruit is pear-shaped and was once seen as special. One popular story says sellers began calling the fruit bergamot, and that name stuck to the tree and its strong oil used in perfume and to flavor tea.