tangerine

American  

[tan-juh-reen, tan-juh-reen] / ˌtæn dʒəˈrin, ˈtæn dʒəˌrin /

noun

1. Also called mandarin, mandarin orange.  any of several varieties of mandarin, cultivated widely, especially in the U.S.

2. deep orange; reddish orange.

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adjective

1. of the color tangerine; reddish-orange.

tangerine ¹ British  

/ ˌtændʒəˈriːn /

noun

1. an Asian citrus tree, Citrus reticulata, cultivated for its small edible orange-like fruits

2. the fruit of this tree, having a loose rind and sweet spicy flesh

3. 1. a reddish-orange colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      a tangerine door

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tangerine ² British  

/ ˌtændʒəˈriːn /

noun

1. a native of inhabitant of Tangier

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adjective

1. of or relating to Tangier or its inhabitants

Etymology

Origin of tangerine

Tang(i)er + -ine ¹

Compare meaning

How does tangerine compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• tangelo vs. tangerine

Explanation

A tangerine is a kind of citrus tree, and it's also the name of the fruit the tree produces. Tangerines are like little oranges. Delicious! Some people prefer tangerines to oranges, because they're small, they have thin, loose skin that's easy to peel, and they are often sweeter than oranges. In the 1840s, tangerines were called tangerine oranges, or "oranges from Tangier" by the British. They were originally imported from Tangier, Morocco, and are a variety of mandarin orange.

Example Sentences

A custom metal hood by Practice Fabrication, powder-coated the color of a Pixie tangerine, adds a sense of fun.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025

In Johnson’s buoyant painting a dapper Harlem couple steps out for a stroll beneath a tangerine slice of a moon.

From New York Times • Feb. 19, 2024

If their thoughts do turn to cricket, uppermost in England minds should be the problem of Bumrah, whose staccato action and educated fingers could probably swing a tangerine around corners.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2024

For reference, I generally use the majority of zest scraped from one whole satsuma, which is about the size of a tangerine.

From Salon • Nov. 2, 2023

He wanted to show me Manderley....My mind ran riot then, figures came before me and picture after picture—and all the while he ate his tangerine, giving me a piece now and then, and watching me.

From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier