orange

1 of 3

noun

or·​ange ˈär-inj How to pronounce orange (audio)
ˈär(-ə)nj;
chiefly Northern & Midland
ˈȯr-inj How to pronounce orange (audio)
ˈȯr(-ə)nj
1
a
: a globose berry with a yellowish to reddish-orange rind and a sweet edible pulp
He peeled an orange.
b
: any of various small evergreen citrus trees (genus Citrus) with glossy ovate leaves, hard yellow wood, fragrant white flowers, and fruits that are oranges
2
: any of several trees or fruits resembling the orange
3
: any of a group of colors that are between red and yellow in hue
Orange is about midway between red and yellow in hue.

orange

2 of 3

adjective (1)

1
: of or relating to the orange
2
: of the color orange

Orange

3 of 3

adjective (2)

: of, relating to, or sympathizing with Orangemen
Orangeism
ˈär-in-ˌji-zəm
ˈär(ə-)n-
ˈȯr-in- How to pronounce Orange (audio)
ˈȯr(ə-)n-
noun

Examples of orange in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In the photo, Aire drew on white paper with various colored markers, including some yellows, greens and oranges. Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 2 Mar. 2024 The display garden explodes with bearded and beardless irises in rare colors like pale blue, copper, deep burgundy, and pale peach accented with bright orange and deep purple. Elizabeth Brownfield, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Attendees could donate money to a fund dedicated to stopping teen violence in exchange for orange shirts, bracelets and signs that honored Lord. Dylan Wickman, The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024 The nose leads with cotton candy grapes, plum, and orange. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 28 Feb. 2024 This robust orange set reflects those distinguishing features perfectly. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2024 After hours of rain and clouds on Friday in the District, light stole at day’s end through and beneath the overcast to convert the clouds themselves into a sunset tapestry of pink, red and luminous orange. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2024 Pricing & Availability: The Kanto Audio REN Active Speakers will be available from July and priced at $599 / £499 / €579 in a choice of six colorways: black, white, cream, green, brown, and orange. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 The orange represents filaments of doubly ionized sulfur gas; the yellow-white ridges contain particles of dust. Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 8 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Pushing the controller’s orange Backbone button while the One is connected to your phone will open up the Backbone app, which looks like an operating system. Quentyn Kennemer, The Verge, 4 Mar. 2024 While still marked with orange barrels and signs – and some finishing touches yet to come – the interchange has been open to vehicles since Sunday. The Enquirer, 1 Mar. 2024 The Kardashians star also posted a photo of her and Barker resting their heads on each other, while watching the words of a Tracy Emin piece light up in neon pink and orange in one of the exhibits. Erin Clements, Peoplemag, 29 Feb. 2024 Among the typical spring flowers are orange or purple mariposa lilies, desert five spots (with their five red spots), bright yellow desert golds and desert dandelions, and purple sage. Joe Yogerst, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 This summer, struggling swimmers off Coney Island might be met not just by a young lifeguard in an orange suit but also by assistance from above, in the form of a buglike device delivering an inflatable float. Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2024 Cointreau carves out its territory with a distinct orange flavor, thanks to the essential oils of sweet and bitter oranges and a secret blend of spices. Aly Walansky, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024 Roast colorful carrots with orange slices, chiles, olive oil, and maple syrup. Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Feb. 2024 For example, if your bathroom has beige or gray colors, choose bright-colored washcloths such as red, orange, or yellow to give your bathroom a more stylish look. Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 12 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'orange.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French orrange, araunge, from Old Occitan auranja, from Arabic nāranj, from Persian nārang, from Sanskrit nāraṅga orange tree

First Known Use

Noun

1532, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective (1)

1542, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective (2)

1795, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of orange was in 1532

Dictionary Entries Near orange

Cite this Entry

“Orange.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/orange. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

orange

1 of 2 noun
or·​ange ˈär-inj How to pronounce orange (audio) ˈȯr- How to pronounce orange (audio)
-ənj
1
a
: a round usually sweet juicy fruit with a yellowish to reddish orange rind
b
: any of various small evergreen citrus trees having shiny leaves, fragrant white flowers, and fruits which are oranges
2
: a color between red and yellow

orange

2 of 2 adjective
1
: of or relating to the orange
2
: of the color orange

Medical Definition

orange

noun
or·​ange ˈär-inj How to pronounce orange (audio) ˈȯr- How to pronounce orange (audio)
1
a
: a globose berry with a yellowish to reddish orange rind and a sweet edible pulp
b
: any of various rather small evergreen trees (genus Citrus) with ovate leaves, hard yellow wood, fragrant white flowers, and fruits that are oranges
2
often capitalized : agent orange

Geographical Definition

Orange 1 of 2

geographical name (1)

Or·​ange ˈär-inj How to pronounce Orange (audio)
ˈär(-ə)nj,
ˈȯr-inj,
ˈȯr(-ə)nj
1
city in southwestern California north of Santa Ana population 136,416
2
river 1300 miles (2092 kilometers) long in southern Africa flowing from the Drakensberg Mountains in Lesotho west into the Atlantic Ocean

Orange

2 of 2

geographical name (2)

city in southeastern France north of Avignon population 29,135

More from Merriam-Webster on orange

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