orange

¹ American  

[awr-inj, or-] / ˈɔr ɪndʒ, ˈɒr- /

noun

1. a globose, reddish-yellow, bitter or sweet, edible citrus fruit.

2. any white-flowered, evergreen citrus trees of the genus Citrus, bearing this fruit, as C. aurantium bitter orange, Seville orange, or sour orange and C. sinensis sweet orange, cultivated in warm countries.

3. any of several other citrus trees, as the trifoliate orange.

4. any of several trees or fruits resembling an orange.

5. a color between yellow and red in the spectrum, an effect of light with a wavelength between 590 and 610 nanometers; reddish yellow.

6. Art. a secondary color that has been formed by the mixture of red and yellow pigments.

---

adjective

1. of or relating to the orange.

2. made or prepared with oranges or orangelike flavoring.

   orange sherbet.

3. of the color orange; reddish-yellow.

Orange ² American  

[awr-inj, or-, aw-rahnzh] / ˈɔr ɪndʒ, ˈɒr-, ɔˈrɑ̃ʒ /

noun

1. a member of a European princely family ruling in the United Kingdom from 1688 to 1694 and in the Netherlands since 1815.

2. a river in the Republic of South Africa, flowing W from Lesotho to the Atlantic. 1,300 miles (2,095 km) long.

3. a former small principality of W Europe: now in the SE part of France.

4. a city in SW California, near Los Angeles.

5. a city in NE New Jersey, near Newark.

6. a town in SE France, near Avignon: Roman ruins.

7. a city in SE Texas.

8. a town in S Connecticut.

9. Fort. Fort Orange.

---

orange ¹ British  

/ ˈɒrɪndʒ /

noun

1. any of several citrus trees, esp Citrus sinensis ( sweet orange ) and the Seville orange, cultivated in warm regions for their round edible fruit See also tangerine

2. 1. the fruit of any of these trees, having a yellowish-red bitter rind and segmented juicy flesh See also navel orange

   2. ( as modifier )

      orange peel

3. the hard wood of any of these trees

4. any of a group of colours, such as that of the skin of an orange, that lie between red and yellow in the visible spectrum in the approximate wavelength range 620–585 nanometres

5. a dye or pigment producing these colours

6. orange cloth or clothing

   dressed in orange

7. any of several trees or herbaceous plants that resemble the orange, such as mock orange

---

adjective

1. of the colour orange

Orange ² British  

/ ˈɒrɪndʒ /

noun

1. a princely family of Europe. Its possessions, originally centred in S France, passed in 1544 to the count of Nassau, who became William I of Orange and helped to found the United Provinces of the Netherlands. Since 1815 it has been the name of the reigning house of the Netherlands. It was the ruling house of Great Britain and Ireland under William III and Mary (1689–94) and under William III as sole monarch (1694–1702)

2. (modifier) of or relating to the Orangemen

3. (modifier) of or relating to the royal dynasty of Orange

---

Orange ³ British  

noun

1. a river in S Africa, rising in NE Lesotho and flowing generally west across the South African plateau to the Atlantic: the longest river in South Africa. Length: 2093 km (1300 miles)

2. Ancient name: Arausio.  a town in SE France: a small principality in the Middle Ages, the descendants of which formed the House of Orange. Pop: 27 989 (1999)

---

Etymology

Origin of orange

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English: the fruit or tree, Old French orenge, cognate with Spanish naranja, from Arabic nāranj, from Persian nārang, from Sanskrit nāraṅga

Explanation

An orange is a citrus tree that produces sweet-smelling white blossoms, and eventually, oranges. Orange, as in the bright color, comes from the name of the fruit and tends to be used for items we need to notice: like road construction signs and prison jumpsuits. Oranges grow in warm places like Florida, California, and Brazil, where they are harvested to be eaten and made into juice and other products. The color of the orange, in varying hues, is also orange, a warm, sunny shade that falls between red and yellow on the color spectrum. The first orange trees probably grew in India, and the word itself has its roots in the Sanskrit naranga-s, "orange tree."

Example Sentences

The word “Coachella” is placed in free-flowing sprawl across the top, punctuated with a forest green gradient and bright orange stroke.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

The following day Lyons was photographed, with his hands bound by cable ties, being led from police headquarters wearing bright orange overalls and a black face mask.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

The bright orange suits are worn during takeoff and re-entry, but also emergency situations, such as cabin depressurization.

From Barron's • Apr. 5, 2026

She downs her glass of orange wine, leans forward and confesses to something truly shocking.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

Glittering ripples on the water and the leaves on the trees gone orange and gold.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin