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

She was once told off for asking to learn Mandarin.

From BBC

Yang, who speaks three Chinese dialects — Cantonese, Shanghainese and Mandarin — decided that Jian-Yang was probably from mainland China and likely would speak with a Mandarin accent.

From Los Angeles Times

Three-quarters of the city state's population are ethnically Chinese, and Mandarin is one of four official languages.

From BBC

Vizcarra said the witnesses in the case speak only Chinese Mandarin, so homicide investigators did not have immediate information about what happened.

From Los Angeles Times

He even said his family were learning Mandarin.

From BBC