Category:Lime

Lime, n. Etym: [See Leam a string.]

Defn: A thong by which a dog is led; a leash. Halliwell.

lime Lime, n. Etym: [Formerly line, for earlier lind. See Linden.] (Bot.)

Defn: The linden tree. See Linden.

lime Lime, n. Etym: [F. lime; of Persian origin. See Lemon.] (Bot.)

Defn: A fruit allied to the lemon, but much smaller; also, the tree which bears it. There are two kinds; Citrus Medica, var. acida which is intensely sour, and the sweet lime (C. Medica, var. Limetta) which is only slightly sour.

lime Lime, n. Etym: [AS. lim; akin to D. lijm, G. leim, OHG. lim, L. limus mud, linere to smear, and E. loam. . Cf. Loam, Liniment.]

1. Birdlime. Like the lime That foolish birds are caught with. Wordsworth.

2. (Chem.)

Defn: Oxide of calcium; the white or gray, caustic substance, usually called quicklime, obtained by calcining limestone or shells, the heat driving off carbon dioxide and leaving lime. It develops great heat when treated with water, forming slacked lime, and is an essential ingredient of cement, plastering, mortar, etc.CaO

Note: Lime is the principal constituent of limestone, marble, chalk, bones, shells, etc. Caustic lime, calcium hydrate or slacked lime; also, in a less technical sense, calcium oxide or quicklime. -- Lime burner, one who burns limestone, shells, etc., to make lime. -- Lime light. See Calcium light under Calcium. -- Lime pit, a limestone quarry. -- Lime rod, Lime twig, a twig smeared with birdlime; hence, that which catches; a snare. Chaucer.

lime Lime, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Limed; p. pr. & vb. n. Liming.] Etym: [Cf. AS. geliman to glue or join together. See Lime a viscous substance.]

1. To smear with a viscous substance, as birdlime. These twigs, in time, will come to be limed. L'Estrange.

2. To entangle; to insnare. We had limed ourselves With open eyes, and we must take the chance. Tennyson.

3. To treat with lime, or oxide or hydrate of calcium; to manure with lime; as, to lime hides for removing the hair; to lime sails in order to whiten them. Land may be improved by draining, marling, and liming. Sir J. Child.

4. To cement. "Who gave his blood to lime the stones together." Shak.

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---excerpt from the Illustrated Bible Dictionary

Lime - The Hebrew word so rendered means "boiling" or "effervescing." From Isaiah 33:12 it appears that lime was made in a kiln lighted by thorn-bushes. In Amos 2:1 it is recorded that the king of Moab "burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime." The same Hebrew word is used in Deuteronomy 27:2, and is there rendered "plaster." Limestone is the chief constituent of the mountains of Syria.