mandarin

American  

[man-duh-rin] / ˈmæn də rɪn /

noun

1. (in the Chinese Empire) a member of any of the nine ranks of public officials, each distinguished by a particular kind of button worn on the cap.

2. (initial capital letter) the standard Chinese language.

3. (initial capital letter) a northern Chinese dialect, especially as spoken in and around Beijing.

4. a small, spiny citrus tree, Citrus reticulata, native to China, bearing lance-shaped leaves and flattish, orange-yellow to deep-orange loose-skinned fruit, some varieties of which are called tangerines.

5. any of several plants belonging to the genus Disporum or Streptopus, of the lily family, as S. roseus rose mandarin or D. lanuginosum yellow mandarin, having drooping flowers and red berries.

6. an influential or powerful government official or bureaucrat.

7. a member of an elite or powerful group or class, as in intellectual or cultural milieus.

   the mandarins of the art world.

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adjective

1. of or relating to a mandarin or mandarins.

2. elegantly refined, as in language or taste.

mandarin British  

/ ˈmændərɪn /

noun

1. (in the Chinese Empire) a member of any of the nine senior grades of the bureaucracy, entered by examinations

2. a high-ranking official whose powers are extensive and thought to be outside political control

3. a person of standing and influence, as in literary or intellectual circles

4. 1. a small citrus tree, Citrus nobilis, cultivated for its edible fruit

   2. the fruit of this tree, resembling the tangerine

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Other Word Forms

• mandarinate noun

Etymology

Origin of mandarin

1580–90; < Portuguese mandarim, alteration (by association with mandar to order) of Malay məntəri < Hindi mantrī, Sanskrit mantrin councilor

Example Sentences

Chips and a cup of Tex-Mex style queso as a snack, and a cardamon-spiked mandarin agua fresca to wash down everything.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

The shipment of animals from Moscow also included two yaks, five cockatoos and dozens of pheasants as well as mandarin ducks, Kozlov's office said.

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2024

My mom made mandarin pancakes,, Yorkshire pudding and other fun dishes.

From Salon • Sep. 17, 2024

We elevate the dish by opening a can of mandarin oranges and chopping them to fold into the cream.

From Washington Times • May 10, 2023

Rasseem added two green peacocks to his nation of birds, along with a mandarin duck.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri