Lemonades

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A sweetened beverage made from freshly squeezed citrus fruit, often enjoyed for its refreshing taste in warm weather
2. A drink prepared by mixing lemon juice, sugar, and water, commonly served chilled as a thirst quencher
3. A tangy, sweetened liquid derived from lemons and water, typically indulged in during hot days for hydration and enjoyment

Etymology: "Lemonades" is simply the plural of "lemonade," so the history belongs to the singular. The word came into English from French "limonade," which had itself been formed from "limon," the French name for the lemon. That French word traces back through Italian "limone" and Arabic "laymūn" to Persian "līmū," and ultimately to Sanskrit "nimbū," so the fruit's name travelled a long route from South Asia to Europe before reaching English. The French "-ade" ending is what gives the drink its name. It comes from Latin "-ātus" through Occitan and Old French, and it marks a sweetened drink or beverage, so "limonade" literally named a lemon drink. English took the form directly from French, and the word in its current sense is the sweetened lemon-and-water drink the definition describes.