Citrinus

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A term describing a yellowish color, often associated with citrus fruits like lemons and limes
2. Referring to a bright, lemon-like hue that resembles the shade of certain fruits or flowers
3. Denoting a vivid, pale yellow color reminiscent of citrine gemstones or citrus plants

Etymology: Before it meant lemon-yellow, "citrinus" described the citron, a fragrant fruit tree the Romans knew well. Its Latin name, "citrus," referred to that tree, and the adjective simply meant "of the citron" and then took on the colour of its fruit. The citron is a different plant from the lemon, which reached Europe much later, so the Latin name never originally pointed to the lemon at all. Since "citrinus" is an adjective built from "citrus," the connection is direct: a noun for a tree and its fruit became a word for a colour. The source of "citrus" itself is uncertain, probably a loanword from a language spoken around the Mediterranean before Latin. Scholars have not agreed on which one.

Synonyms: lemon-colored, yellowish, citron

Antonyms: colorless, dark, dull