grapefruit

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun citrus tree bearing large round edible fruit having a thick yellow rind and juicy somewhat acid pulp
  2. noun large yellow fruit with somewhat acid juicy pulp; usual serving consists of a half

Etymology

Widely assumed to be a marketing term 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 pomelo's botanical names is Citrus grandis, meaning "great citrus [fruit]", due to the size of its fruit. A new pomelo variety might first have been called a "greatfruit" (see greatfruit), and through the process of assimilation, the word came to be pronounced "grapefruit".

In classic literature

Synonyms

Citrus paradisi

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