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

He persisted , and slowly, a group formed that picked 800 pounds of fruit off his neighbor’s tangerine and orange trees, and identified many more that needed picking.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 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

The satsuma or tangerine peels don’t have to be done this way.

From Salon • Dec. 28, 2023

Birds flutter their multihued wings into a starry night sky or set off into the tangerine evening air.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 19, 2023

I stared through the window at the endless rows of trees—orange, tangerine, lemon—flying past us on either side.

From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor