orange

noun or·ange \ ˈär-inj , ˈär(-ə)nj ; chiefly Northern & Midland ȯr-inj , ˈȯr(-ə)nj \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of orange

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.

See orange defined for English-language learners

See orange defined for kids

Recent Examples of orange from the Web

Brazil is an agricultural heavyweight, among the world's top growers of soybeans, corn, sugar, coffee, and oranges.

— marcy nicholson and marcelo teixeira, The Christian Science Monitor, "Brazil plants chocolate forests to save the Amazon," 12 Apr. 2018
There’s also an eclectic mix of options on the beverage front, a list that includes local craft beer, rosé flights and cocktails like the Syriana-Americana cocktail made with gin, apricot, rice milk, orange blossom and rosé.

— justin phillips, San Francisco Chronicle, "Dyafa opens for lunch at Jack London Square," 12 Apr. 2018
Protesters wearing orange hunting vests and caps carried signs saying #NotMyGovernor.

— michael livingston, latimes.com, "Vermont OKs gun controls, while Louisiana scuttles bid to raise age for buying assault weapons," 12 Apr. 2018
The products came in delicious-sounding fruit colors like raspberry and orange or expensive-sounding gem tones like sapphire and frosted crystal.

— kat eschner, Smithsonian, "The Story of Brownie Wise, the Ingenious Marketer Behind the Tupperware Party," 11 Apr. 2018
The bright orange gillnetting sleeves were clearly visible and seemed to be holding up just fine.

— kathryn miles, BostonGlobe.com, "Can anyone save the North Atlantic right whale?," 11 Apr. 2018
From a vibrant neon orange two-piece to stunning cover-ups that can double as everyday wear, the line is what summer dreams are made of.

— shammara lawrence, Teen Vogue, "All the Shit “Plus-Size” Models Are Tired of Hearing," 9 Apr. 2018
Bergamotto di Positano also features notes of bergamot, orange blossom and green tea, and smells equal parts woody and refreshing.

— diana pearl, PEOPLE.com, "Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Wedding Has a Royal Perfume — and It'll Smell Heavenly!," 6 Apr. 2018
The tropical milkweed has attractive orange or yellow flowers and is the easiest transplant to find, but there are several native milkweeds that are desirable.

— calvin finch, San Antonio Express-News, "Attracting and producing butterflies in your landscape," 6 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'orange.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of orange

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1532

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

orange

adjective

Definition of orange

1 : of or relating to the orange

2 : of the color orange

Recent Examples of orange from the Web

Not long ago, only half the building had the red-and-white treatment, while the other was a geometric mix of orange and brown, topped with a slight curve reminiscent of a bell shape.

— nate berg, Curbed, "McDonald’s 2.0," 11 Apr. 2018
The beer pours cloudy orange from a can featuring a big purple Tyrannosaurus Rex and showcases the citra hop, which lends notes of mango, orange rind, and evergreen.

— gary dzen, BostonGlobe.com, "Toppling Goliath toddles into Massachusetts," 22 Mar. 2018
The mahogany-colored ham was surrounded by greens accented with twirls of dehydrated orange rind — not something found in every home kitchen, but kumquats would work just as well.

— anne schamberg, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Not a peep of stress: A foolishly simple menu for an April 1 Easter," 20 Mar. 2018
At my weight, my plan included eating 17½ cups of vegetables each week (2½ cups/day), with specific amounts allotted to different types of veggies: dark green, red and orange, beans and peas, starchy vegetables and others.

— daniel j. green /, NBC News, "How to define what 'perfection' looks like in your own weight-loss journey," 20 Feb. 2018
Plum, smoke, raspberry, cola, spice, orange rind, cedar and bright acidity characterized this powerful wine, which clocks in at 14.5 percent alcohol.

— michael austin, chicagotribune.com, "9 Chilean cabernets catch you up on what's been happening with country's iconic wine," 24 Jan. 2018
Set to hit retailers in April, this Air Max 93 starts with a plain white upper as the base that's attached to a can't-miss safety orange panel around the midsole and finished off with a cool blue Swoosh and a deeper blue Nike Air ankle plate.

— tyler watamanuk, GQ, "Nike's Air Max 93 Is Back in Its Freshest Old Colorway Yet," 30 Mar. 2018
Vitamin C, while appreciated in orange juice, is actually at its best as one of the most powerful players in the skin-care game.

— tanisha pina, Allure, "Amazon Customers Are Obsessed With TruSkin Naturals' $20 Vitamin C Serum," 30 Mar. 2018
Adventure models also can be had with a contrasting white-colored roof in a shade called Ice Edge, while their interiors are dressed up with orange stitching and accents.

— alexander stoklosa, Car and Driver, "2019 Toyota RAV4 / RAV4 Hybrid: Sales Champ Gets a Compelling Overhaul," 29 Mar. 2018

Origin and Etymology of orange

see ¹orange

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1542

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Color Terms

argentine, cerise, cerulean, cyan, ocher, perse, puce, taupe, vermilion

Orange

adjective

Definition of Orange

: of, relating to, or sympathizing with Orangemen

—

Orangeism

play \ˈär-in-ˌji-zəm, ˈär(ə-)n-, ˈȯr-in-, ˈȯr(ə-)n-\ noun

First Known Use of orange

1795

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Orange

geographical name Or·ange \ ˈär-inj , ˈär(-ə)nj , ˈȯr-inj , ˈȯr(-ə)nj \

Definition of Orange

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

geographical name \ ȯ-ˈräⁿzh \

Definition of Orange

city in southeastern France north of Avignon population 29,135

ORANGE Defined for English Language Learners

orange

noun

Definition of orange for English Language Learners

: a citrus fruit that is round and that has an orange skin
: a color between red and yellow that is like the color of fire and carrots

ORANGE Defined for Kids

orange

noun or·ange \ ˈȯr-inj \

Definition of orange for Students

1 : a color between red and yellow : the color of a carrot

2 : a sweet juicy citrus fruit with orange colored rind that grows on an evergreen tree with shining leaves and fragrant white flowers

Medical Dictionary

orange

noun or·ange \ ˈär-inj , ˈȯr- \

medical Definition of orange

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