tangerine

noun

tan·​ger·​ine ˈtan-jə-ˌrēn How to pronounce tangerine (audio)
ˌtan-jə-ˈrēn
1
a
: any of various mandarin oranges that have usually deep orange skin and pulp
broadly : mandarin sense 3b
b
: a tree producing tangerines
2
: a moderate to strong reddish orange

Did you know?

When tangerine was first used in the mid-19th century it was an adjective we'd borrowed from French to describe people or things from or relating to the Moroccan city of Tangier. (The French name for "Tangier" is Tanger.) Within about a hundred years the noun tangerine was being used to refer to the fruit we now know by that name. Although tangerines were at one time thought to be native to Morocco, they are now thought to be indigenous to southeast Asia. As our definition explains, tangerines are technically a kind of mandarin orange-and mandarin is another word we got from the French. The French mandarine is most likely originally from the Portuguese word mandarim, which etymologists believe is probably from the color of a Chinese mandarin's robes.

Examples of tangerine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Developed by a scientist at the Citrus Research Station at the University of California, Riverside in 1927, the pixie tangerine originated from Kincy mandarins. Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 7 Mar. 2024 Brilliant gold in the glass, this wine has complex aromas of white peach, vanilla, tangerine, and beeswax and flavors of roasted hazelnuts, marzipan, yellow peach, and quince. Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 22 Feb. 2024 At Arnett Farms there were Buddha’s hand citrons; bergamot oranges; pomelos; Meyer lemons; and Kishu, Fairchild, Nova, Golden Nugget and Satsuma tangerines. Betty Hallock, Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2024 Pika Pika Calamansi Marmalade A tart spread made from the tiny Philippine calamansi— tangerine and lime in one. Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Feb. 2024 In a man's early life, the prostate is the size of a walnut or small tangerine. Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2024 The paintings’ clouds of cadmium yellow, electric aqua, and candied tangerine evoke the emotional registers of both psychedelic op-art and the digital graphics of artists like Jeremy Blake and Cory Arcangel. Erik Morse, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2023 Jose Cuervo has now created Ready to Drink Margaritas in flavors of white peach, grapefruit tangerine and strawberry lime. Sara Liss, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 The pitch-black night sky lit up in fiery hues of crimson and tangerine. Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tangerine.' 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

Tangerine (orange), from French Tanger Tangier, Morocco + English -ine entry 1

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of tangerine was in 1842

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Dictionary Entries Near tangerine

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

tangerine

noun
tan·​ger·​ine ˈtan-jə-ˌrēn How to pronounce tangerine (audio)
ˌtan-jə-ˈrēn
: any of various mandarin oranges having a usually deep orange skin and pulp
also : a tree producing tangerines

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