tangerine
noun
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.
Examples of tangerine in a Sentence
Christina Shepherd McGuire, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Nov. 2024
The tart candies now available in citrus, tangerine and mango — three of the most popular flavors of Altoids Sours — and come in similar-looking pop-top tins as the original candy.
—Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 27 Sep. 2024
Then try the Sour Krush, a tropical fruit soda-esque beer, and the unfiltered IPAs filled with poppy new-age hops with flavors of tangerine and papaya.
—John Frank, Axios, 22 Sep. 2024
The tart recreations, called Retro Sours, are now available in citrus, tangerine and mango — three of the most popular flavors of Altoids Sours.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 11 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tangerine 
Dictionary Entries Near tangerine
Cite this Entry
“Tangerine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tangerine. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tangerine
noun
Share