Limey
noun/ˈlaɪmi/
/ˈlaɪmi/
(North American English, Australian English, old-fashioned, informal)- a word for a British person that can be offensiveCultureThe 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.
Definitions on the go
Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary app.
Check pronunciation:
Limey