tangerine
noun
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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
Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 10 Mar. 2025
Founded in 1979, their portfolio includes Wonderful Pistachios, POM pomegranate juice, Halo tangerines — agricultural businesses that all require water — and Fiji Water.
—Cait Bladt, CBS News, 15 Jan. 2025
Her look, custom-made by Nicolas Ghesquière, featured a silky tangerine fabric and a classic ballgown silhouette.
—Renan Botelho, WWD, 5 Jan. 2025
The superfine mist brings the spicy floral to your tresses and skin all over, with a subtler take on the blend of magnolia, musk, tangerine and Bulgarian rose.
—Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tangerine
Cite this Entry
“Tangerine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tangerine. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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tangerine
noun
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