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
And nothing screams summer quite like a neon orange. Audrey Noble, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2024 Immediately following this outfit there was a fun moment which consisted of a bright orange and pink knit and striped sweater paired alongside a brown leather pleated skirt. Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 18 Apr. 2024 After frying in palm oil, what emerges is a sticky-sweet, bright orange, and irresistible taste of Southern Thai cuisine. Austin Bush, Saveur, 18 Apr. 2024 Suddenly, the most mundane task is a sensory delight: This soap smells exactly like oranges and basil. Jenna Ryu, SELF, 17 Apr. 2024 There’s also the Crêpes Suzette, prepared with vanilla ricotta crème patisserie and orange; and the Croque Madame, layered with black forest ham, mornay, Gruyère and sunny side eggs. Jillian Dara, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024 That’s how my latest version of readers’ favorite whole orange date muffins came about. Rita Nader Heikenfeld, The Enquirer, 13 Apr. 2024 When the sliver of fiery orange that remained of the sun disappeared, a black circle ringed by white light took its place. Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024 Hutton came out on top in the episode with a spoiled milk ice cream sundae with chocolate sauce and candied orange peels. Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 10 Apr. 2024
Adjective
Follow the orange and white balloons to find participating locations. The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Apr. 2024 As skies darkened Monday over North America during a rare solar eclipse, many people noticed bright dots — flickering spots that were reddish, pink and orange in hue — along the periphery of the moon and Sun. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Apr. 2024 To find out your schedule, look for the orange or purple decal under your blue cart lid. Dana Oland, Idaho Statesman, 8 Apr. 2024 Those wanting to experience that 100% darkness should view the eclipse from somewhere within the innermost orange lines. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 7 Apr. 2024 In the Betty is Back, this little teaspoon of St. Germain gives an ever-so-gentle fleshiness to the orange fruit, with a floral boost. Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 6 Apr. 2024 This long lasting men’s cologne features a mostly orange citrus fragrance that lasts the whole day. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 5 Apr. 2024 Investigators discovered orange and gold plastic Easter eggs inside his car. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News, 5 Apr. 2024 The incident led to the closure of the North Berkeley BART station until about 4:30 p.m., and service on the orange and red lines did not fully resume until about 4:50 p.m., Allison said. Jason Green, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 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 25 Apr. 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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