tangerine
Americannoun
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Also called mandarin, mandarin orange. any of several varieties of mandarin, cultivated widely, especially in the U.S.
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deep orange; reddish orange.
adjective
noun
adjective
noun
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an Asian citrus tree, Citrus reticulata, cultivated for its small edible orange-like fruits
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the fruit of this tree, having a loose rind and sweet spicy flesh
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a reddish-orange colour
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( as adjective )
a tangerine door
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Etymology
Origin of tangerine
Compare meaning
How does tangerine compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A tangerine is a kind of citrus tree, and it's also the name of the fruit the tree produces. Tangerines are like little oranges. Delicious! Some people prefer tangerines to oranges, because they're small, they have thin, loose skin that's easy to peel, and they are often sweeter than oranges. In the 1840s, tangerines were called tangerine oranges, or "oranges from Tangier" by the British. They were originally imported from Tangier, Morocco, and are a variety of mandarin orange.
Vocabulary lists containing tangerine
English Food and Drink Words Derived from Arabic
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Orange
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Jelly bean flavors include green apple, blue raspberry, lemon, tangerine, and cranberry — “which each deliver just enough fruity sweetness to accentuate their accompanying jolt of sour,” per TJ’s.
From Salon • Oct. 21, 2025
The elevated snack tray comes with crudités alongside a pesto yogurt sauce, a tuna tostada, a carpaccio hand roll, shrimp toast and a refreshing, fruity and herbaceous granita that comes in a hollowed-out tangerine rind.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2024
In Johnson’s buoyant painting a dapper Harlem couple steps out for a stroll beneath a tangerine slice of a moon.
From New York Times • Feb. 19, 2024
If their thoughts do turn to cricket, uppermost in England minds should be the problem of Bumrah, whose staccato action and educated fingers could probably swing a tangerine around corners.
From BBC • Feb. 6, 2024
“Somebody else could do basic research on what a tangerine is and how it is grown. We thought that you and your friend could handle that.”
From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.