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Definition of Limey noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Limey

noun
 
/ˈlaɪmi/
 
/ˈlaɪmi/
(North American English, Australian English, old-fashioned, informal)
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  1. a word for a British person that can be offensive
    CultureThe word ‘Limey’ was used especially by US military forces during the Second World War, often as a way of showing a lack of respect, to mean a British sailor or soldier. It refers to the old practice in the British navy of drinking the juice of limes (= green fruit like lemons) to avoid getting the disease of scurvy which is caused by the lack of vitamin C.
    Word Originlate 19th cent.: from lime (the fruit) + -y, because of the former enforced consumption of lime juice in the British navy.
See Limey in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
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