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lime 1 (līm)
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n.
1. Any of several evergreen trees or shrubs of the genus Citrus having edible green or greenish-yellow fruit, especially the Mexican lime and the Persian lime.
2. The fruit of any of these plants, having a pulpy interior and usually acid juice.

[French, from Spanish lima, from Arabic līma, from Persian līmū, lemon, any of various citrus fruits; akin to Hindi nimbū and Gujarati lību, lime, of Austro-Asiatic origin; akin to Mundari (Munda language of Jharkhand, India) lembu.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2015 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 
lime 2 (līm)
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n.
See linden.

[Alteration of Middle English lind, line, from Old English lind.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2015 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 
lime 3 (līm)
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n.
1.
b. Any of various mineral and industrial forms of calcium oxide differing chiefly in water content and percentage of constituents such as magnesia, silica, alumina, and iron.
2. Birdlime.
tr.v. limed, lim·ing, limes
1. To treat with lime.
2. To smear with birdlime.
3. To catch or snare with or as if with birdlime.

[Middle English lim, from Old English līm, birdlime; see lei- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

limy adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2015 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

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