lemon drop

The story

1. Old English · inherited fromdropa“a drop”
2. Middle English · inherited fromdrope“small quantity of liquid; small amount of something; speck”
3. Middle English · inherited fromdroppe
4. Old French · derived fromlymon“citrus”
5. Middle English · inherited fromlymon
6. English todaylemon drop

Literally lemon + drop. From the combination of lemon (referring to the flavor of the candy) and drop (referring to the shape of the candy, often a small, smooth, oval, or circular shape). The word lemon Inherited from Middle English lymon, from Old French lymon (“citrus”), and the word drop comes from Middle English droppe, Middle English drope (“small quantity of liquid; small amount of something; speck”), from Old English dropa (“a drop”).

Words from the same roots