lime
small sour green citrus fruit
A small green fruit with very sour juice, often used in drinks and food.
[something] with lime
- 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.
- 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.
bright yellowish-green color
A bright green color that looks like the outside of a lime fruit.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
citrus tree producing limes
A small tree that grows lime fruits.
- 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.
- 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.
put lime material on soil
To put lime powder on the ground or soil to change it, usually to make it less acid.
to lime [a field/soil]
- 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.
- 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.
add lime to food or drink
To put lime or lime juice in food or a drink to give it a sour taste.
to lime [a drink/food]
- 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.
- 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.
Caribbean slang: hang out socially
In Caribbean English, to relax and talk with friends, not doing anything very serious.
to lime with [someone]
- 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.
- 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.
- Base: lime
- Plural: lime, limes
- Base: lime
- 3rd Person Singular: limes
- Present Participle: liming
- Past: limed
gin and lime
1alcoholic drink of gin with lime
A mixed alcoholic drink that has gin and lime juice or lime syrup.
- He ordered a gin and lime at the bar.
- She prefers a gin and lime to a gin and tonic.
key lime pie
1American tart lime dessert pie
A sweet dessert pie from the U.S., made with a sour lime filling and a biscuit or pastry base.
- 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
1soft drink of lime with soda water
A cold drink made by mixing lime (juice or sweet lime syrup) with soda water.
- I’ll just have a lime and soda, please.
- On hot days she likes to drink lime and soda instead of cola.
lime cordial
1sweet lime-flavored syrup drink base
A sweet lime drink syrup that you mix with water or soda to make a soft drink.
- 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
1bright yellowish-green color
A very bright green color that looks like the outside of a lime fruit.
- She bought a lime green jacket for the festival.
- The company’s logo is lime green and white.
lime juice
1sour liquid from limes
The sour liquid that comes out when you press a lime.
- Add two tablespoons of lime juice to the dressing.
- She drinks hot water with honey and lime juice every morning.
lime wedge
1small triangular piece of lime
A small triangle-shaped piece of lime that you can put on food or in a drink.
- The drink came with a lime wedge on the rim of the glass.
- Serve the tacos with lime wedges on the side.
lime zest
1grated 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.
- Sprinkle lime zest over the cake before serving.
- The recipe calls for one teaspoon of finely grated lime zest.