A citrus fruit used during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, often called a citron, which is held and blessed along with palm branches and other plants.
From Hebrew etrog (אתרוג), derived from a Semitic root; the word entered English through Yiddish and Hebrew religious texts. The fruit itself likely originated in Southeast Asia and became central to Jewish ritual practice.
The ethrog is one of the few words English borrowed directly for a religious ritual object—it's so specific to Jewish practice that most English dictionaries didn't include it until the 20th century, showing how language expands when cultures interact.
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