lemongrass

noun

lem·​on·​grass ˈle-mən-ˌgras How to pronounce lemongrass (audio)
: a grass (Cymbopogon citratus) of robust habit native to southern India and Ceylon that is grown in tropical regions for its lemon-scented foliage used as a seasoning and that is the source of an aromatic essential oil
also : its foliage

Examples of lemongrass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The business is owned by Ger Her who serves authentic Hmong dishes, including sausage with lemongrass, crispy pork belly, sticky rice, racks of ribs and barbecue chicken. — Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026 An interesting afternoon tea includes salt cod croquettes and apple-lemongrass pudding. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 Many modern pesticides are non-toxic and formulated with plant oils such as lemongrass, cinnamon, and garlic. — Joan Murray, CBS News, 5 Oct. 2026 Sit outside on the patio overlooking the pool and enjoy the delicious Cal-Pacific cooking, like the bulgogi burger with umami fries, bibimbap bowl and seared salmon with shimeji mushrooms in a coconut-lemongrass broth. — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lemongrass

Word History

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lemongrass was in 1801

Rhymes for lemongrass

See All Rhymes for lemongrass

Browse Nearby Words

lemon geranium
lemongrass
lemongrass oil
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lemongrass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lemongrass. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All