pamplemousse

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch pompelmoes.

Pronunciation

• (Europe) IPA^(key): /pɑ̃.plə.mus/
• (New Brunswick, Quebec) IPA^(key): /pɑ̃.plə.mʊs/

• audio (Montreal):

  (file)

Noun

pamplemousse m (plural pamplemousses)

1. (botany, France) pomelo
2. grapefruit

Usage notes

Careful or scientific writing may make a distinction between pamplemousse, used for the pomelo (Citrus maxima), and pomélo for its hybrid the grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi). However, in many places pamplemousse is the normal word in common and commercial usage for the grapefruit, particularly where the pomelo is unfamiliar.

Synonyms

• (pomelo): pomélo, pomelo (Belgium, Switzerland)
• (grapefruit): pomélo, pomelo, chadègue (Louisiana)

Derived terms

• cuillère à pamplemousse
• pamplemoussier

Further reading

• Pamplemousse et pomélo on the French Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^fr
• “pamplemousse”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.