noun

tangerine

TAN-juh-reen

Tangerine (noun) means a small, sweet citrus fruit with loose, easy-to-peel orange skin, related to the mandarin. Example: “She peeled a tangerine for the kids' lunchboxes.”

noun

A small, sweet citrus fruit with loose, easy-to-peel orange skin, related to the mandarin.

"She peeled a tangerine for the kids' lunchboxes."

A deep orange color like that of the fruit.

"The walls were painted a warm tangerine."

adj

Of a deep, vivid orange color.

"She wore a tangerine dress to the party."

How to use tangerine

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA sweet, easy-peel citrus fruit, or the bright orange color named after it.

Easily confused with

mandarin → clementine →

Common pairings

tangerine peel tangerine color

Word forms

tangerines plural, Tangerines plural

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She peeled a _____ for the kids' lunchboxes.

Etymology

Named after Tangier, Morocco, the port through which the fruit was originally exported to Europe.

Synonyms

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tangerine tree

Rhymes for tangerine

nine mine wine line sine dine fine vine pine tine thine shine

See all rhymes for tangerine →

Frequently asked questions

What does “tangerine” mean?

The word “tangerine” means a small, sweet citrus fruit with loose, easy-to-peel orange skin, related to the mandarin. In plain terms, a sweet, easy-peel citrus fruit, or the bright orange color named after it.

How do you pronounce “tangerine”?

“Tangerine” is pronounced TAN-juh-reen (/ˈtæn.d͡ʒəˌɹiːn/ in IPA).

How do you use “tangerine” in a sentence?

Here is “tangerine” used in a sentence: “She peeled a tangerine for the kids' lunchboxes.”

What part of speech is “tangerine”?

Depending on how it is used, “tangerine” can be a noun and an adjective.

How many meanings does “tangerine” have?

“Tangerine” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small, sweet citrus fruit with loose, easy-to-peel orange skin, related to the mandarin.