nounnoun

la lima

lime

Definition & meaning

Lima has several meanings in Spanish:

A lime: a small, usually green citrus fruit with a sour flavor. Depending on the region, lima can refer to different citrus varieties, sometimes including what English calls a sweet lime or Persian lime.
- Example: El jugo de lima es muy refrescante. — “Lime juice is very refreshing.”
A file: a hand tool with a rough surface used to smooth, shape, or remove material such as metal, wood, or fingernails.
- Example: Necesito una lima para alisar el metal. — “I need a file to smooth the metal.”
Lima: the capital city of Peru. In this meaning, it is a proper noun and is written with a capital letter.
- Example: Lima es la capital del Perú. — “Lima is the capital of Peru.”

Grammar & Word origin

Lima meaning “lime” is a feminine noun: la lima, plural las limas.
Lima meaning “file” is also a feminine noun: la lima, plural las limas.
Lima as the city name is a proper noun: Lima.
The meanings “lime” and “file” are unrelated despite having the same spelling.
The fruit name ultimately comes through Arabic from a Persian term for a citrus fruit.
The tool name comes from an older Romance word referring to a rasp or file.

Synonyms & antonyms

“Lime” — fruit

Possible regional synonyms include:

cítrico — “citrus fruit”; this is a broader term, not an exact synonym.
fruta cítrica — “citrus fruit”; also broader than lima.

There is no exact antonym for a type of fruit.

“File” — tool

Related words include:

escofina — a coarse file, generally used for wood or other relatively soft materials.
lima de uñas — a nail file; a specific type of lima.
raspa — a rasp or rough scraping tool; often coarser than a standard lima.

There is no direct antonym, although alisar — “to smooth” — describes the result or purpose of using a file, while rayar — “to scratch” — can describe an opposite effect.