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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 The palate opens with a burst of fruit—tangerine, cherry and stone fruit—balanced with savory herbs. — Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 13 May 2022 Naturally, tangerine-orange lids are O'Brien's secret weapon to achieving Gorman's dreamy springtime makeup look. — Maura Brannigan, Allure, 15 Mar. 2022 With bold hues of yellow tangerine and emerald, embroidered bralettes and corsets paired with low wise trousers and cobalt blue lambskin leather, and a forary into tailoring—that is very apparent with this collection. — Essence, 21 Jan. 2020 Sweet almond, tangerine, frankincense and lavender essential oils are also included in our CBD topical balm. — The Salt Lake Tribune, 21 Apr. 2022 In another Palm Springs influence, Virginia's office introduces an unexpected color—tangerine—in a vibrant cabana stripe on the ceiling. — Jennifer Fernandez, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Apr. 2022 Fruit is almost a celebration on the palate, with apricot and peach layered on pink grapefruit, tangerine, passionfruit and pineapple. — Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2022 The celebration of the pixie tangerine starts today. — Laura Blasey, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2022 The notes for perfumer Mathieu Nardin’s ripe and juicy tribute to citrus read like a cocktail mixer, its combination of pomelo, tangerine, and bergamot appealingly zesty. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, 8 Apr. 2021 See More

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