tangerine
Americannoun
-
Also called mandarin, mandarin orange. any of several varieties of mandarin, cultivated widely, especially in the U.S.
-
deep orange; reddish orange.
adjective
noun
-
an Asian citrus tree, Citrus reticulata, cultivated for its small edible orange-like fruits
-
the fruit of this tree, having a loose rind and sweet spicy flesh
-
-
a reddish-orange colour
-
( as adjective )
a tangerine door
-
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of tangerine
Compare meaning
How does tangerine compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
Vocabulary lists containing tangerine
English Food and Drink Words Derived from Arabic
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Orange
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"It totally blindsided me - I had a tumour the size of a tangerine which had a cyst attached to it," Kirsty said.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
New York had not even hosted an NBA finals game since Steve Jobs was hawking tangerine iMacs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
A custom metal hood by Practice Fabrication, powder-coated the color of a Pixie tangerine, adds a sense of fun.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025
Jelly bean flavors include green apple, blue raspberry, lemon, tangerine, and cranberry — “which each deliver just enough fruity sweetness to accentuate their accompanying jolt of sour,” per TJ’s.
From Salon ● Oct. 21, 2025
It smelled sweet and sharp, like tangerine peels.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
To be clear: These athletes aren’t chowing on the yucky old sports gels we all know and hate, the ones that taste like tangerines and moldy baseball gloves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
But others, like the Hidatsa Red bean, prevalent in the Dakotas, and the Ojai Pixie tangerines grown in Southern California, are newer additions to the ever-growing catalog.
From Salon ● May 8, 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
So, she gave him a box of peanut butter and honey crackers, two protein drinks and two tangerines.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 3, 2023
All of us in my family look like tangerines next to oranges.
From "A Step from Heaven" by An Na
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
