Definition of "lime"

Lime, which is the product of the burning of chalk or limestone, might be bought ready burnt, or it could be burnt in kilns specially constructed in the neighbourhood of the building operations.

1952, L.F. Salzman, Building in England, page 149

Monster, come, put some lime upon your fingers, and away with the rest.

1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act IV, scene i]

Like the lime which foolish birds are caught with.

1835, William Wordsworth, They called Thee Merry England, in old time [first line of unnamed poem]

Sellers moved on until he was actually trusted to operate the limes, the spotlights that can make or destroy an artist's act.

1980, Peter Evans, Peter Sellers: The Mask Behind the Mask, page 30

Then out of the blue, a spotlight much like the “limes” in a theatre, lit up what seemed like a Punch and Judy tent […] He struggled even more, when from out of the shadows and into the bright light of the limes, stepped Uncle Jolly.

2018, Robert Charles Hines, Twists and Turns: 13 Tales of the Uneasy, page 121

If I were you, I'd lime.

1917, Rudyard Kipling, The Land

But there was nothing of an ascetic's expression in her bright full eyes, as she looked before her, not consciously seeing, but absorbing into the intensity of her mood, the solemn glory of the afternoon with its long swathes of light between the far-off rows of limes, whose shadows touched each other.

1871, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], chapter III, in Middlemarch […], volume I, Edinburgh, London: William Blackwood and Sons, book I, page 38

WARNING: This is a lime. While it does not show explicit sex, as a lemon would, references to sexual situations abound.

1998 June 8, Gary Kleppe, “[Ranma][Fanfic] Tangled Web”, in rec.arts.anime.creative‎ (Usenet)

Even with all the sex in Garden of EVA, I still think the main stories are better for just being the lemon-scented limes that they are.

1998 December 29, [email protected], “[EVA][FanFic][Lemon] Garden of EVA 0:6x - Wet Dreams Bite!”, in rec.arts.anime.creative‎ (Usenet)

I have no intention of writing any lemon scenes, limes are possibilities but unlikely and if they occur they will be few in number.

2001 November 27, Schemer, “[Ranma/SF][FanFic] A Learning Experience - Chapter 01”, in rec.arts.anime.creative‎ (Usenet)