tangerine

American  

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

noun

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

2. deep orange; reddish orange.

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adjective

1. of the color tangerine; reddish-orange.

tangerine 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

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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

Example Sentences

One is a Pixie tangerine that just never took and that I’m going to put out of its proverbial misery — it happens.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2024

In Johnson’s buoyant painting a dapper Harlem couple steps out for a stroll beneath a tangerine slice of a moon.

From New York Times • Feb. 19, 2024

For reference, I generally use the majority of zest scraped from one whole satsuma, which is about the size of a tangerine.

From Salon • Nov. 2, 2023

It's good to see the tangerine colours of Luton back in the big league once more, but I can't take them seriously and see them down by Christmas.

From BBC • Sep. 3, 2023

Against the tangerine blush of the afternoon sun, it looked like the apocalypse had already touched down in Virginia.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken