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tangerine

noun tan·ger·ine \ ˈtan-jə-ˌrēn , ˌtan-jə-ˈrēn \
|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Definition of tangerine

1 a : any of various mandarin oranges that have usually deep orange skin and pulp; broadly : mandarin 3b
b : a tree producing tangerines
2 : a moderate to strong reddish orange

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See tangerine defined for kids

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Recent Examples of tangerine from the Web

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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.

Origin and Etymology of tangerine

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

TANGERINE Defined for English Language Learners

tangerine

noun

Definition of tangerine for English Language Learners

  • : a small, sweet fruit that is like an orange with a loose skin which is easy to remove

  • : a deep orange-yellow color

TANGERINE Defined for Kids

tangerine

noun tan·ger·ine \ ˈtan-jə-ˌrēn \

Definition of tangerine for Students

: a Chinese orange with a loose skin and sweet pulp

Learn More about tangerine

  1. See words that rhyme with tangerine Spanish Central: Translation of tangerine Nglish: Translation of tangerine for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tangerine for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tangerine

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