Small green citrus fruits with acidic juice, or the plural of lime trees that produce these fruits.
From French lime, from Arabic līmah, from Persian līmū. The word traveled through Islamic trade networks before entering European languages, reflecting the fruit's journey from Asia to the Mediterranean.
Limes were so crucial to preventing scurvy in the British Navy that sailors were nicknamed 'limeys.' Ironically, the original lime juice was later replaced with lemon juice, which was more effective, but the nickname stuck.
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