Limetrees

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Deciduous trees of the genus Tilia that bear fragrant pale flowers and are often planted along avenues and in parks
2. Tall leafy trees with heart-shaped leaves and clusters of sweet-scented flowers, commonly lining streets and gardens
3. Several linden trees, known for their honey-scented blossom and broad shade, frequently grown as ornamental street trees

Etymology: "Limetrees" is simply the plural of "limetree," a compound of "lime" (the tree, Tilia) and "tree." The word has no dramatic story of its own, so the history lies in the two parts. The tree is the key. "Lime" in this sense is an entirely different word from the citrus fruit lime. It descends from Old English "lind," meaning the linden tree, and the name survived in English with the sense of the Tilia genus, while the citrus lime arrived much later from a different source. Readers often assume the two are related, but they are not. Because the two senses are so easily confused, "limetree" is a useful reminder that English kept an old tree name in a form that now looks like a fruit. The plural is formed regularly by adding "-s."