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Glite Dictionary
water lemon

water lemon

8.9
A yellow tropical fruit with juicy sweet pulp like passion fruit
  • noun
translation icon : limón de agua
  • She tasted the sweet pulp of a ripe water lemon for the first time while visiting Jamaica.

Examples

  • The tropical market had some fresh water lemons on display next to the passion fruit.

  • Have you ever tried a water lemon?

  • Botanists studied the flowering habits of the water lemon in its native habitat.

  • I bought a water lemon from the market.

  • She tasted the sweet pulp of a ripe water lemon for the first time while visiting Jamaica.

  • The tropical market had some fresh water lemons on display next to the passion fruit.

  • I bought a water lemon from the market that was full of juicy flavor.

Synonyms

sweet cup
vswater lemon
  • US
9.9

A yellow tropical fruit with juicy sweet flesh

emphasizes juicy pulp and sweet flavor rather than origin alone
bell apple
vswater lemon
  • UK
9.9

A yellow tropical fruit with sweet juicy flesh and a strong smell

focuses instead on juicy pulp and distinct sweet flavor
yellow granadilla
vswater lemon
  • Specialized
8.9

A tropical plant that makes a yellow fruit with sweet, scented pulp

refers specifically to the honeysuckle's yellow fruit with juicy sweet pulp

Surface Forms

water lemon singular
water lemons plural

Morphology

water + lemon

The compound 'water lemon' is straightforwardly built from 'water' (watery) + 'lemon' (citrus fruit), so a learner would infer it refers to a lemon-like fruit with a juicy or watery pulp. Noun–noun subtype formation for fruits is common cross-linguistically, making the referent compositional and readily understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Water lemon may come from the fruit's very juicy pulp, which people thought of as water, and from its lemon-like color and shape, which people called lemon. That's why the name now means 'the edible yellow fruit'.