pomelo

Etymology

Of uncertain etymology, though possibly a variant of earlier pampelmoes, from French, Dutch, Portuguese sources ultimately equivalent to "thick lemon" or transcribing the Tamil பம்ப ளிமாசு (pampa ḷimācu, “big citrus”). Alternatively, possibly from pome (“apple”) + melon or some cognate; though such a compound is currently unattested, some early variant spellings seem to show influence from pome.

noun

1. The large fruit of the Citrus maxima (syn. C. grandis), native to South Asia and Southeast Asia, with a thick green or yellow rind, a thick white pith, and semi-sweet translucent pale flesh.
2. The tree which produces this fruit.
3. (US, Caribbean, historical) the grapefruit.
   SHADDOCK, AND POMELO, OR GRAPE-FRUIT. (Citrus aurantium decumana.*) The cultivation of these fruits is extendiug gradually, especially of the pomelo, which is a first-class marketable fruit, very valuable in the spring and early summer. 1888, Bulletin, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Division of Pomology, page 78
   Pomelo.* — Much larger than an orange and smaller than a shaddock; a delicious fruit, preferred by many to the orange. Skin smooth, pale yellow; subacid. The membrane dividing the pulp is bitter, and must be removed before eating the pulp. Also called "grape-fruit" from its habit of growing in clusters. 1891, Bulletin No. 1-10, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Division of Pomology, page 79
   POMELO (syn. grape fruit).—A variety of shaddock; fruit very large, from two to five pounds each, pale yellow, resembling the citron; skin smooth; pulp sub-acid. / SHADDOCK.—Tree inclined to be dwarf; fruit very large, with smooth skin, pale yellow and very glossy; the rind is very thick and spongy, and very bitter; ornamental only 1891 March, R M Lelong, “From Seed to Grove”, in The Great Southwest, page 3
   Pomelo (Citrus decumana) — The commercial term grape fruit is synonymous with pomelo, while shaddock, a term sometimes reserved for these fruits, is more properly applied to a large pyriform or necked variety of the pomelo. This variety sometimes reaches a weight of 15 pounds or more. Within the last few years the smaller pomelo has become very popular in Northern markets and extensive orchards are being rapidly set out in Florida, which is the state of largest production. The pomelo is somewhat larger than the orange and of a pale yellow color. 1904, Earley Vernon Wilcox, Clarence Beaman Smith, Farmer's Cyclopedia of Agriculture, page 241
   The pomelo has unfortunately been marketed under the name “grape-fruit,” and it is doubtful whether the correct name, pomelo, will ever displace the trade name. 1911, Good Housekeeping Magazine, page 106