lime

Everyday

1. A small round green citrus fruit with sour juice. tree →
2. A bright yellow-green colour, also called lime green. tree →
3. A white powder made from limestone, used in building, farming and making cement. tree →
4. A lime tree (UK): a tall tree with heart-shaped leaves, also called a linden. tree →
5. Bird-lime is a sticky substance spread on twigs to catch birds. tree →

In the lessons

In cooking and everyday life limes flavour drinks and food. In science «lime» is calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide; «limewater» turns cloudy (milky) when carbon dioxide is bubbled through it — a classic test. Farmers spread lime on soil to make it less acidic. Phrase: «in the limelight» means being the centre of attention (old theatre lights burned lime).

Examples

• She squeezed a lime over the fish. tree →
• Limes are smaller and sourer than lemons. tree →
• The new football boots are bright lime green. tree →
• We breathed into limewater and it went cloudy. tree →
• The farmer spread lime on the field. tree →
• A tall lime tree shades the village square. tree →
• The pop star loves being in the limelight. tree →
• There are 5 limes in each bag, and Mum bought 3 bags. tree →
• A FOWLER, taking his bird-lime and his twigs, went out to catch birds. tree →

Note

Countable for fruit (two limes); uncountable for the powder (some lime). Lime is not the same as a lemon. Lime powder can burn skin and eyes — handle with gloves. In maths: «6 limes at 30 cents each» costs 180 cents.

In Jewish tradition

Here it means quicklime, made by burning limestone. It is not the fruit.

Interpretation. Isaiah says the nations will be burned like lime. Amos says Moab sinned by burning a dead king's bones into lime, which the tradition sees as a deep insult to the dead.

Examples

• And the peoples shall be as the burnings of lime; as thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire. (Prophets ISA.33.12, JPS 1917) tree →
• Thus saith the LORD: For three transgressions of Moab, yea, for four, I will not reverse it: because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime. (Prophets AMO.2.1, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Countable for fruit (two limes); uncountable for the powder (some lime). Lime is not the same as a lemon. Lime powder can burn skin and eyes — handle with gloves. In maths: «6 limes at 30 cents each» costs 180 cents.