grapefruit

See also: Grapefruit

English

A grapefruit (tree) in Enampore, Senegal
Grapefruit (fruit), one sliced in half

Etymology

Widely assumed to be from grape +‎ fruit, an allusion to the supposed grapelike clusters of fruit on the tree, early 19th c. Ciardi proposes another theory: one of the pummelo's botanical names is Citrus grandis, meaning "great citrus [fruit]", due to the size of its fruit. A new pummelo variety might first have been called a "greatfruit", and through the process of assimilation, the word came to be pronounced "grapefruit".

Pronunciation

Noun

grapefruit (plural grapefruits or grapefruit)

  1. The tree of the species Citrus paradisi, a hybrid of pomelo (Citrus maxima) and sweet orange.
  2. The large spherical tart fruit produced by this tree.

Synonyms

Derived terms


Translations

Further reading

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English grapefruit.

Pronunciation

  • Audio(file)
  • Hyphenation: grape‧fruit

Noun

grapefruit m (plural grapefruits, diminutive grapefruitje n)

  1. grapefruit (tree of the species Citrus paradisi)
  2. grapefruit (fruit produced by the tree of the species Citrus paradisi)

See also

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