tangerine

American  

[tan-juh-reen, tan-juh-reen] / ˌtæn dʒəˈrin, ˈtæn dʒəˌrin /

noun

• tangerines
  plural

1. Also called mandarin, mandarin orange. any of several varieties of mandarin, cultivated widely, especially in the U.S.

2. deep orange; reddish orange.

---

adjective

1. of the color tangerine; reddish-orange.

tangerine ¹ British  

/ ˌtændʒəˈriːn /

noun

1. a native of inhabitant of Tangier

---

adjective

1. of or relating to Tangier or its inhabitants

tangerine ² British  

/ ˌtændʒəˈriːn /

noun

1. an Asian citrus tree, Citrus reticulata, cultivated for its small edible orange-like fruits

2. the fruit of this tree, having a loose rind and sweet spicy flesh

3. 1. a reddish-orange colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      a tangerine door

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• tangerines
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of tangerine

Tang(i)er + -ine ¹

---

Compare meaning

How does tangerine compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• tangelo vs. tangerine

---

Explanation

A tangerine is a kind of citrus tree, and it's also the name of the fruit the tree produces. Tangerines are like little oranges. Delicious! Some people prefer tangerines to oranges, because they're small, they have thin, loose skin that's easy to peel, and they are often sweeter than oranges. In the 1840s, tangerines were called tangerine oranges, or "oranges from Tangier" by the British. They were originally imported from Tangier, Morocco, and are a variety of mandarin orange.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tangerine tangerines

There are also around 16 fruit trees on the property—including orange, tangerine, grapefruit, lemon, and lime trees—as well as a brick-enclosed vegetable garden.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

Whether your preference is melon, tangerine, ginger or coral - orange appears to be the big colour trend for next year.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

This ageworthy bottling delivers big acidity, with notes of lime zest, white blossom, tangerine and grilled lemon.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

Or a whole tangerine and an entire avocado toast, as opposed to a sliver?

From Salon ● May 17, 2026

Zeitoun headed to the West Bank to get a look at the tangerine bathroom.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

Follow the narrow, winding streets in search of handmade leather goods, silver jewelry, spices and herbs, olive oil and products made from Bodrum tangerines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

An array of whole peeled tangerines, strawberries, hawthorn berries and green and red grapes glistened on my phone screen like jewels you only admire but can’t touch.

From Salon ● Mar. 25, 2025

Or, if you’ve ever been to Ojai, you’ll know the sweet, citrusy scent of Pixie tangerines that lingers in the air.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2024

“Today I ate chips, tangerines and this thing that looked like chili but without the meat - just beans,” the 12-year-old said after lunch on a Friday at I.S.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 16, 2023

Tart apples, cherries, grapes, and unblemished tangerines: he was of the opinion that because they weren't wrapped, these things were free for the taking.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---