lime

1. A spiny evergreen shrub or tree (Citrus aurantifolia), native to Asia and having leathery leaves, fragrant white flowers, and edible fruit.
2. The egg-shaped fruit of this plant, having a green rind and acid juice used as flavoring.

[Probably French , from Spanish lima, from Arabic līma, līm, probably from līmūn, lemon. See lemon.]

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

(click to enlarge)
Lime (Citrus aurantifolia). (credit: Grant Heilman Photography)

Small shrublike tree (Citrus aurantifolia), widely grown in tropical and subtropical areas, and its edible acidic fruits. Stiff branches and twigs leave the thorny stem at irregular intervals and end in green leaves. Clusters of small white flowers produce small oval fruits with a thin, pale greenish yellow rind. The juicy pulp is sweeter and more acidic than that of the lemon. Limes are used to flavour many foods. High in vitamin C, they were formerly used in the British navy to prevent scurvy — hence the nickname "limey" for British sailors.

For more information on lime, visit Britannica.com.

An acid citrus fruit, Citrus aurantifolia, usually grown in tropical or subtropical regions because of its low resistance to cold. The two principal groups of limes are the West Indian or Mexican and the Tahiti or Bearss. The fruit of West Indian lime is very small (walnut size) and strongly acid, and drops when fully colored. The Tahiti lime is seedless and its aroma is less pronounced.

Except in the United States, the commercial lime industry is restricted to the West Indian group. The major producing areas are India, Mexico, Egypt, and the West Indies. Commercial production of the Tahiti lime is largely confined to the United States. It is grown mainly in Florida, with some plantings in the warmer areas of southern California. See also Fruit; Fruit, tree.

This small, lemon-shaped citrus fruit has a thin green skin and a juicy, pale green pulp. Limes grow in tropical and subtropical climes such as Mexico, California, Florida and the Caribbean. Because they're an excellent source of vitamin C, limes were fed to British sailors as a scurvy preventative (the fact that was the springboard for the pejorative nickname "limey"). The two main varieties are the Persian lime (the most widely available in the United States) and the Key lime from Florida. The latter is smaller, rounder and has a color more yellow than green. Outside of Florida, the Key lime is usually found only in specialty produce markets and some supermarkets that carry gourmet produce. Though Persian limes are available year-round, their peak season is from May through August. Look for brightly colored, smooth-skinned limes that are heavy for their size. Small brown areas (scald) on the skin won't affect flavor or succulence but a hard or shriveled skin will. Refrigerate uncut limes in a plastic bag for up to 10 days. Cut limes can be stored in the same way up to 5 days. Sweetened or unsweetened bottled lime juice, as well as frozen lime juice and limeade are some of the more popular lime products and are available in most supermarkets. The versatile lime has a multitude of uses, from a sprightly addition to mixed drinks (like margaritas), to a marinade for raw fish dishes (such as seviche), to the famous key lime pie.

A white or grayish-white caustic substance, calcium oxide, usually obtained by heating limestone or marble at a high temperature; used chiefly in plasters, mortars, and cements. In the past, in many areas along the seacoast where limestone was scarce, seashells were heated to obtain lime. See also hydrated lime, hydraulic lime, mortar, shell lime, slaked lime.

1. calcium oxide, a corrosively alkaline earth, used for absorbing carbon dioxide from air.
2. agricultural lime, feed lime and chalk, which are all calcium carbonate. Lime for building mortar is calcium hydroxide; quick lime is calcium oxyhydroxide.
3. the acid fruit of Citrus aurantifolia.

• chlorinated l., chloride of l. — a disinfectant and antiseptic with properties similar to chlorine. Contains at least 30% available chlorine which is quickly inactivated by organic material. Called also bleaching powder. In combination with sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate, it forms dakin's solution which is used for wound disinfection.
• sulfurated l. — see lime-sulfur.
• l. water — a saturated aqueous solution of calcium hydroxide.

For other uses, see Lime (disambiguation).

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Lime
Unripened Key limes
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Rutaceae
Genus:	Citrus

Lime, raw (edible parts)

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 30 kcal   130 kJ
Carbohydrates     11 g - Sugars  1.7 g - Dietary fiber  3 g   Fat 0.2 g Protein 0.7 g Water 88 g Vitamin C  29 mg 48%
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient database

Lime is a term referring to a number of different fruits, both species and hybrids and generally citruses, which have their origin in the Himalayan region of India and which are typically round, green to yellow in colour, 3–6 cm in diameter, and generally containing sour and acidic pulp. They are frequently associated with the lemon. Limes are often used to accent the flavours of foods and beverages. They are usually smaller than lemons, and a good source of vitamin C. Limes are grown all year round and are usually sweeter than lemons.

Limes are a small citrus fruit, Citrus aurantifolia, whose skin and flesh are green in colour and which have an oval or round shape with a diameter between one to two inches. Limes can either be sour or sweet, with the latter not readily available in the United States. Sour limes possess a greater sugar and citric acid content than lemons and feature an acidic and tart taste, while sweet limes lack citric acid content and are sweet in flavour.

Contents 1 Uses 1.1 Cooking 1.2 Taboo 1.3 Other uses 2 Production trends 3 Plants known as "lime" 4 Gallery 5 References

Uses

Cooking

Zesting a lime

In cooking, lime is valued both for the acidity of its juice and the floral aroma of its zest. It is a very common ingredient in authentic Mexican, Southwestern United States, Vietnamese, and Thai dishes. It is also used for its pickling properties in ceviche. Additionally, the leaves of lime are used in southeast Asian cuisine. The use of dried limes (called black lime or loomi) as a flavouring is typical of Persian cuisine and Iraqi cuisine, as well as in Gulf-style baharat (a spice mixture that is also called kabsa or kebsa). Limes are also an essential element in Tamil cuisine.

Lime leaves are also a herb in South, East, and particularly Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, people have boiled chicken with lime leaves and a mixture of salt, black pepper and lime juice.

Taboo

In India, the lime is used in Tantra for removing evil spirits. It is also combined with Indian chilis to make a protective charm to repel the evil eye^[1] .

Other uses

In order to prevent scurvy during the 19th century, British sailors were issued a daily allowance of citrus such as lime (presumably Citrus aurantifolia)^{[citation needed]}, which led in time to the nickname "limey" for all Britons. It was later discovered that this beneficial effect derived from the quantities of Vitamin C the fruit contains.

Lime extracts and essential oils are frequently used in perfumes, cleaning products, and aromatherapy. Lime is also used occasionally to enhance vision by many Asian martial artists.^[who?] It is done by squeezing a drop or two on the inside corner of the eye.^{[citation needed]}

Production trends

Lemon and lime output in 2005

India with ~16% of worlds overall lemon and lime output tops the production list, followed by Mexico (~14.5%), Argentina (~10%), Brazil (~8%) and Spain (~7%).

Promotional photo for California limes, 1948

Top Ten Lemons and Limes Producers — 2007
Country	Production (Tonnes)	Footnote
India	2060000	F
Mexico	1880000	F
Argentina	1260000	F
Brazil	1060000	F
Spain	880000	F
People's Republic of China	745100	F
United States	722000
Turkey	706652
Iran	615000	F
Italy	546584
World	13032388	A
No symbol = official figure, P = official figure, F = FAO estimate, * = Unofficial/Semi-official/mirror data, C = Calculated figure A = Aggregate (may include official, semi-official or estimates); Source: Food And Agricultural Organization of United Nations: Economic And Social Department: The Statistical Division

Plants known as "lime"

• Australian limes
  • Australian desert lime (Citrus glauca)
  • Australian finger lime (Citrus australasica)
  • Australian round lime (Citrus australis)
• Blood lime
• Kaffir lime (Citrus hystrix) (a.k.a. kieffer lime; makrut, or magrood)
• Key lime (Citrus aurantifolia) (a.k.a. Mexican, West Indian, or Bartender's lime)
• Mandarin Lime (Citrus limonia)
• Musk lime (X Citrofortunella mitis)
• Palestine sweet lime (Citrus limettioides)
• Persian lime (Citrus x latifolia) (a.k.a. Tahiti or Bearss lime)
• Spanish lime (Melicoccus bijugatus) (a.k.a. mamoncillo, mamón, ginep, quenepa, or limoncillo) (not a citrus)
• Sweet lime (Citrus limetta) (a.k.a. sweet limetta, Mediterranean sweet lemon)
• Wild lime (Adelia ricinella)
• Limequat (lime × kumquat)
• Lime tree (Tilia sp.)

Gallery

	Kaffir lime fruit	Lime wedges are typically used in drinks	Sliced limes
A closeup of a whole lime	Grocery store limes	Lime and Blossom growing in south Spain

References

1. ^ http://mumbaidailyphotoblog.blogspot.com/2006/12/nimbu-mirchi.html

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lime

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Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - kalk, læsket kalk
v. tr. - kalke, behandle med kalk

2.
n. - lime (frugt)

idioms:

• lime green    limegrøn

3.
n. - lind

4.
v. intr. - stå og snakke, sidde og snakke
n. - social sammenkomst med semi-rituel konversation

5.
n. - kalklys, offentlighedens søgelys

Nederlands (Dutch)
limoen, kalk, vogellijm, kalkmest, limoenboom, kalken, met vogellijm besmeren, lindeboom/ -hout

Français (French)
1.
n. - chaux, craie
v. tr. - chauler

2.
n. - (Bot) limettier, citron vert

idioms:

• lime green    citron vert

3.
n. - tilleul

4.
v. intr. - traîner/se tenir là à parler/à discuter avec (les autres)
n. - forum, discussion

5.
n. - vedette, feux de la rampe

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - Kalk
v. - kalken, mit Kalk düngen

2.
n. - Limone, Limonensaft, Zitronelle

idioms:

• lime green    hellgrün

3.
n. - Linde, Lindenbaum

4.
v. - sich unterhalten
n. - soziales Treffen, wo man sich nach einer Art Ritus unterhält

5.
n. - Rampenlicht, Licht der Öffentlichkeit

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ασβέστης, (φυτολ.) γλυκολεμονιά, μοσχολεμονιά, γλυκολέμονο, κίτρο, φλαμουριά
v. - ασβεστώνω, πιάνω με ξόβεργα
adj. - του ασβέστη, του γλυκολέμονου

idioms:

• lime green    κιτρινοπράσινο χρώμα

Italiano (Italian)
tiglio, limetta, calce

idioms:

• lime green    verde limone

Português (Portuguese)
n. - lima (m) (Bot.), cal (f) (Quím.), visgo (m), limeira (f) (Bot.)
v. - engodar

idioms:

• lime green    verde limão

Русский (Russian)
белить известью, скреплять известью, ловить птиц, известь, липовое дерево, лайм

idioms:

• lime green    бледно-зеленый

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - abono cálcico, cal, cal viva
v. tr. - fertilizar con abono cálcico

2.
n. - limero, lima

idioms:

• lime green    verde lima

3.
n. - tilo

4.
v. intr. - socializar
n. - evento social

5.
n. - foco, proyecto, luz de calcio, centro de atención

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - kalk, (poet.) fågellim, (bot.) slags grön tunnskalig citron (lime), lind
v. - kalka (vägg, jord, hudar), bestryka med fågellim, fånga med lim, (bildl.) snärja
adj. - kalk-, av kalk, med kalk, som kalk, kalkad

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 酸橙树, 酸橙

idioms:

• lime green    莱姆绿, 淡黄绿色

2. 菩提树

3. 石灰, 粘鸟胶, 撒石灰于, 涂粘鸟胶于, 用石灰水涂刷, 用粘鸟胶捕

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
n. - 酸橙樹, 酸橙

idioms:

• lime green    萊姆綠, 淡黃綠色

2.
n. - 石灰, 粘鳥膠
v. tr. - 撒石灰於, 塗粘鳥膠於, 用石灰水塗刷, 用粘鳥膠捕

3.
n. - 菩提樹

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 석회, 끈끈이
v. tr. - 석회를 뿌리다, 석회수를 칠하다, 끈끈이를 바르다

2.
n. - 감귤 나무 또는 그 열매

3.
n. - 라임 나무, 보리수

4.
v. intr. - 이야기를 나누다
n. - 사회적 모임

5.
n. - 라임색

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 石灰, 鳥もち, シナノキ, ライム
v. - 石灰をまく

idioms:

• lime green    ライムグリーン
• slaked lime    消石灰

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) دبق, كلس, كالسيوم, زيزفون نبات, ضرب من الليمون الحامض (فعل) يكسو أغصان شجرة بالدبق, يوقع في شرك, يكلس, يعالج أو يكسو بالكلس (صفه) كلسي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮סידן או מלחי סידן, סיד חי, סיד כבוי, סיד‬
v. tr. - ‮הוסיף סיד, עיבד (אדמה, עור, עץ) עם סיד‬
n. - ‮פרי דמוי-לימון‬
n. - ‮תרזה‬
v. intr. - ‮ישב במעגל ושוחח‬
n. - ‮אסיפה בה מדברים בלשון רשמית למחצה‬
n. - ‮אורות הבמה, מעמד חשוב, אור חזק‬

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