grapefruit

Etymology

Widely assumed to be a marketing term from grape + fruit, an allusion to the supposed grapelike clusters of fruit on the tree, early 19th c. Ciardi proposes another theory: one of the pummelo's botanical names is Citrus grandis, meaning "great citrus [fruit]", due to the size of its fruit. A new pummelo variety might first have been called a "greatfruit" (see greatfruit), and through the process of dissimilation, the word came to be pronounced "grapefruit".

noun

1. The tree of the species Citrus paradisi, a hybrid of pomelo (Citrus maxima) and sweet orange.
   Results have begun to come in and at Comfort Castle this month I spent a useful and happy half day carting round 8 children in my car to their homes where we all helped to fill in with good soil and manure, their excellently dug holes and planted the grapefruit. 1932, The Farmer, page 64
2. The large spherical tart fruit produced by this tree.
   Grapefruit is high in vitamin C. The pink and red varieties contain vitamin A (betacarotene) and lycopene, an antioxidant that may help prevent cancer. Grapefruit contains a chemical that can alter intestinal absorption of some medications and lead to higher than normal blood levels of some drugs and potential problems. 2002, “Fruits”, in Encyclopedia of Foods: A Guide to Healthy Nutrition, Academic Press, part II (Encyclopedia of Foods), page 176, column 3
   Once loaded by Canaveral, the grapefruit are transported to Japan, where the shipments are unloaded by employees of Japanese stevedoring companies. The grapefruit are then received by the Japanese importers. 2002, NLRB Advice Memorandum Reporter, Labor Relations Press, page 100