lime
gb/lˈaɪm/ us/lˈaɪm/
A2
English
~ 9900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
small sour green citrus fruit
A small green fruit with very sour juice, often used in drinks and food.
Usage pattern:
[something] with lime
Common mistake:
Learners often confuse "lime" and "lemon" because both are sour citrus fruits. A lime is usually green and smaller, while a lemon is usually yellow and larger. Another mistake is treating "lime" as uncountable when talking about the whole fruit; say "three limes" (countable fruits), but "some lime juice" (uncountable liquid).
Synonyms
lemon (A similar sour citrus fruit, but usually yellow and slightly different in flavor.)
|
citrus fruit (More general term that includes limes, lemons, oranges, etc., not specific to limes.)
Antonyms
orange (A citrus fruit that is usually sweet rather than sour and is orange in color.)
Collocations
lime juice
|lime zest
|lime wedge
|slice of lime
|fresh lime
|squeeze of lime
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Add a squeeze of lime to the soup to brighten the flavor.
- She ordered sparkling water with a slice of lime.
- Grate some lime zest over the cake before serving.
- We bought a bag of limes to make guacamole and cocktails.
- The recipe calls for the juice of one lime and a little sugar.
Learner examples
- I put a slice of lime in my drink.
- This fish tastes good with lime and salt.
- We need three limes to make this salad.
- He likes tea with honey and lime juice.
- She cut the lime and squeezed the juice into the glass.
Noun
B1
property
2
bright yellowish-green color
A bright green color that looks like the outside of a lime fruit.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "lime" always means the fruit, even when it clearly describes color. If the sentence talks about clothes, paint, or design choices without food or drink, it usually refers to the color.
Synonyms
lime green (More explicit name for the same bright yellowish-green color.)
|
neon green (Very bright, glowing green; often slightly more intense than typical lime.)
Antonyms
navy blue (A very dark blue color, opposite in both lightness and hue to bright lime.)
Collocations
lime green
|bright lime
|neon lime
|lime T-shirt
|lime paint
|lime accent
Themes
colors
|daily life
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She painted one wall in a bold lime to make the room feel lively.
- The designer chose lime for the logo to make it stand out on screens.
- He wore a lime jacket that everyone noticed from across the room.
- The bike comes in black, white, or lime.
- I prefer soft pastels, but my sister loves strong colors like lime and hot pink.
Learner examples
- Her dress is a bright lime color.
- He bought a new phone case in lime.
- The chairs are white with lime cushions.
- I like your lime T-shirt. It is very bright.
- You can get this bag in black, blue, or lime.
Noun
technical
C1
entity
3
calcium material for building and soil
A white or gray powder made from rock (calcium) that is used in building and farming, for example in mortar or to change the soil.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this technical meaning with the fruit. If the sentence mentions soil, mortar, kilns, or pH, it is almost always about the chemical material, not the citrus fruit.
Synonyms
calcium oxide (More precise chemical term; used mainly in scientific or technical contexts.)
|
hydrated lime (A specific processed form of lime (calcium hydroxide), not the general category.)
Antonyms
acid (Lime is strongly alkaline; acids are chemically opposite in pH and reactivity.)
Collocations
quicklime
|slaked lime
|agricultural lime
|lime mortar
|lime kiln
|spread lime
Themes
science
|construction
|environment
|work
Examples
- They added lime to the soil to reduce its acidity before planting.
- Traditional builders often use lime mortar instead of modern cement.
- The factory was fined for releasing dust from its lime kiln.
- Lime is commonly used to stabilize clay soils under road surfaces.
- Drinking water is sometimes treated with lime to adjust its pH.
Learner examples
- The farmers put lime on the field to help the plants grow.
- Old houses were built with lime and sand in the walls.
- Workers wear masks when they handle lime powder.
- They use lime to make the soil less acid.
- The company burns stone to make lime in the kiln.
Noun
C1
entity
4
citrus tree producing limes
A small tree that grows lime fruits.
Common mistake:
Some learners are unsure if they should say "lime tree" or just "lime" for the tree. In most everyday English, "lime tree" is clearer, especially for learners.
Synonyms
lime tree (More explicit phrase; the most common way to refer to the tree in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
non-fruiting tree (Any tree that does not bear edible fruits, contrasting with a lime which is grown for its fruit.)
Collocations
lime tree
|dwarf lime
|lime orchard
|plant a lime
|lime grove
|potted lime
Themes
nature
|food
|food_drink
Examples
- They planted a lime in the backyard so they could pick fresh fruit for drinks.
- The lime in the pot needs more sunlight to produce flowers.
- Several lime and lemon trees line the path to the house.
- The farmer replaced the old orange trees with new lime trees.
- This variety of lime is small enough to grow on a balcony.
Learner examples
- There is a lime in the garden behind the house.
- This lime is full of small green fruits.
- He bought a lime to grow on his balcony.
- Lime trees grow well in hot countries.
- We have two limes and one lemon tree on our farm.
Verb
technical
C1
action
5
put lime material on soil
To put lime powder on the ground or soil to change it, usually to make it less acid.
Usage pattern:
to lime [a field/soil]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this verb is about putting pieces of lime fruit on the ground. In farming or gardening texts, "to lime" almost always refers to the chemical material, not the fruit.
Synonyms
to fertilize (General term for adding material to soil; liming is a specific type of soil treatment, not always for nutrients.)
Antonyms
to acidify (Means to make something more acid, whereas liming normally reduces acidity.)
Collocations
lime the soil
|lime the fields
|limed pasture
|heavily limed
|need liming
|lime application
Themes
science
|agriculture
|environment
|nature
Examples
- Farmers were advised to lime the fields after tests showed very acidic soil.
- If you lime the lawn in early spring, the grass will absorb nutrients more easily.
- The report explains how often you should lime sandy soils in this region.
- They limed the pasture heavily before reseeding it.
- Gardens with many pine trees often need to be limed every few years.
Learner examples
- The farmer will lime the field this weekend.
- You should lime the soil if it is too acid.
- They limed the garden to help the plants grow.
- The grass looks better after we limed the lawn.
- In this area, people lime their fields every few years.
Verb
informal
B2
action
6
add lime to food or drink
To put lime or lime juice in food or a drink to give it a sour taste.
Usage pattern:
to lime [a drink/food]
Common mistake:
This use of "lime" as a verb is less common and often region-specific. Learners may expect to hear only "add lime" or "add lime juice." In many varieties of English, saying "lime the chicken" will sound informal or non-standard.
Synonyms
to season (General term for adding flavor; "lime" is specific to adding lime flavor.)
|
to garnish (Means to decorate or finish a dish, often with a small amount of something like lime.)
Antonyms
to sweeten (Means to make something sweeter, often balancing or replacing the sour taste that lime gives.)
Collocations
lime the beer
|limed chicken
|freshly limed
|lime and salt
|limed fish
|lime your drink
Themes
food
|daily life
|food_drink
|daily_life
Examples
- He likes to lime his beer with a wedge of fresh fruit.
- The recipe says to marinate the meat overnight, then salt and lime it before grilling.
- You can lime the salad just before serving to keep the flavor bright.
- They limed the fish heavily to cut the strong smell.
- If you lime the cocktail too much, it will taste too sour.
Learner examples
- She limed her water with two small slices.
- They lime the chicken before they cook it.
- I like to lime my tea instead of using lemon.
- The cook limed the fish and then added salt.
- You can lime your drink if you want it more sour.
Verb
slang
C1
action
7
Caribbean slang: hang out socially
In Caribbean English, to relax and talk with friends, not doing anything very serious.
Usage pattern:
to lime with [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may try to use this verb in all English-speaking countries. It is mainly used in Caribbean English and may sound strange or be unknown elsewhere. In most other varieties, "hang out" is the safer choice.
Synonyms
hang out (Very close in meaning; more widely used in general English, not limited to the Caribbean.)
Antonyms
work hard (Implies focused effort, opposite of the relaxed, unstructured social time described by "lime".)
Collocations
lime with friends
|go liming
|just liming
|out liming
|lime on the corner
|lime after work
Themes
social
|slang
|relationships
|daily_life
Examples
- We’re just liming by the beach if you want to join us later.
- After work they like to lime at the bar on the corner.
- It’s too hot to do anything today; let’s just lime under the tree.
- On Fridays the whole crew limes outside the shop until midnight.
- Instead of liming all weekend, he stayed home and studied.
Learner examples
- They like to lime on the street and talk.
- After school we go to the park and lime.
- He was liming with his friends last night.
- Let’s lime by the beach this evening.
- I don’t want to work; I just want to lime today.
Grammar
Dictionary form
lime
IPA
GB/lˈaɪm/
US/lˈaɪm/
Syllables & stress
lime (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (lime)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: lime
- Plural: lime, limes
Verb
- Base: lime
- 3rd Person Singular: limes
- Present Participle: liming
- Past: limed
Word family
Forms
limes
noun
liming
verb
limed
verb
Core family
limeade
noun
Related words
limestone
noun B2
limescale
noun
Advanced or less common
limy
adjective
Expressions
gin and lime
1/d͡ʒˈɪn ˈænd lˈaɪm/
fixed phrase
alcoholic drink of gin with lime
A mixed alcoholic drink that has gin and lime juice or lime syrup.
Examples
- He ordered a gin and lime at the bar.
- She prefers a gin and lime to a gin and tonic.
key lime pie
1/kˈi lˈaɪm pˈaɪ/
fixed phrase
American tart lime dessert pie
A sweet dessert pie from the U.S., made with a sour lime filling and a biscuit or pastry base.
Examples
- We shared a slice of key lime pie after dinner.
- Her grandmother makes the best key lime pie I’ve ever tasted.
lime and soda
1/lˈaɪm ˈænd sˈoʊdə/
fixed phrase
soft drink of lime with soda water
A cold drink made by mixing lime (juice or sweet lime syrup) with soda water.
Examples
- I’ll just have a lime and soda, please.
- On hot days she likes to drink lime and soda instead of cola.
lime cordial
1/lˈaɪm kˈɔɹd͡ʒəl/
fixed phrase
sweet lime-flavored syrup drink base
A sweet lime drink syrup that you mix with water or soda to make a soft drink.
Examples
- He poured some lime cordial into the glass and topped it up with cold water.
- The bar was out of lime cordial, so she chose orange instead.
lime green
1/lˈaɪm ɡɹˈin/
fixed phrase
bright yellowish-green color
A very bright green color that looks like the outside of a lime fruit.
Examples
- She bought a lime green jacket for the festival.
- The company’s logo is lime green and white.
lime juice
1/lˈaɪm d͡ʒˈus/
fixed phrase
sour liquid from limes
The sour liquid that comes out when you press a lime.
Examples
- Add two tablespoons of lime juice to the dressing.
- She drinks hot water with honey and lime juice every morning.
lime wedge
1/lˈaɪm wˈɛd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
small triangular piece of lime
A small triangle-shaped piece of lime that you can put on food or in a drink.
Examples
- The drink came with a lime wedge on the rim of the glass.
- Serve the tacos with lime wedges on the side.
lime zest
1/lˈaɪm zˈɛst/
fixed phrase
grated outer skin of lime
The very thin outer green skin of a lime, cut or grated and used to give food a strong lime taste.
Examples
- Sprinkle lime zest over the cake before serving.
- The recipe calls for one teaspoon of finely grated lime zest.