mandarin

[ man-duh-rin ]

noun

1. (in the Chinese Empire) a member of any of the nine ranks of public officials, each distinguished by a particular kind of button worn on the cap.
2. (initial capital letter) the standard Chinese language.
3. (initial capital letter) a northern Chinese dialect, especially as spoken in and around Beijing.
4. a small, spiny citrus tree, Citrus reticulata, native to China, bearing lance-shaped leaves and flattish, orange-yellow to deep-orange loose-skinned fruit, some varieties of which are called tangerines.
5. any of several plants belonging to the genus Disporum or Streptopus, of the lily family, as S. roseus rose mandarin or D. lanuginosum yellow mandarin, having drooping flowers and red berries.
6. an influential or powerful government official or bureaucrat.
7. a member of an elite or powerful group or class, as in intellectual or cultural milieus:

   the mandarins of the art world.

adjective

1. of or relating to a mandarin or mandarins.
2. elegantly refined, as in language or taste.

mandarin

/ ˈmændərɪn /

noun

1. (in the Chinese Empire) a member of any of the nine senior grades of the bureaucracy, entered by examinations
2. a high-ranking official whose powers are extensive and thought to be outside political control
3. a person of standing and influence, as in literary or intellectual circles
4. 1. a small citrus tree, Citrus nobilis, cultivated for its edible fruit
   2. the fruit of this tree, resembling the tangerine

Derived Forms

• ˈmandarinate, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mandarin¹

1580–90; < Portuguese mandarim, alteration (by association with mandar to order) of Malay məntəri < Hindi mantrī, Sanskrit mantrin councilor

Word History and Origins

Origin of mandarin¹

C16: from Portuguese mandarim, via Malay menteri from Sanskrit mantrin counsellor, from mantra counsel

Example Sentences

The regime soon to enter office will be populated by a new cadre of national security mandarins, all largely devoid of visionary ideas, certainly nothing we could call progressive, much less transformative.

From Salon

The shipment of animals from Moscow also included two yaks, five cockatoos and dozens of pheasants as well as mandarin ducks, Kozlov's office said.

From BBC

In 2003, Acevedo poured most of his retirement money into buying the avocado orchard where he also grows a smattering of other fruit such as mandarins, cherimoya and pomegranates.

From Los Angeles Times

My mom made mandarin pancakes,, Yorkshire pudding and other fun dishes.

From Salon

Rasseem added two green peacocks to his nation of birds, along with a mandarin duck.

From Literature