Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of small, sweet citrus fruit that is a variety of mandarin orange. It is typically seedless or has very few seeds, and its skin is deep reddish-orange, glossy, and easy to peel.
   • The specific cultivated variety of mandarin orange known for its sweetness and grown primarily in regions around the Mediterranean and in South Africa.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • I packed a clementine in my lunch because it's a healthy and easy snack.
  • The grocery store had a special on clementines from Spain.
  • Compared to other citrus fruits, a clementine is often sweeter and less acidic.

Advanced Usage

• "Clementine season": Refers to the time of year, typically late fall through winter, when clementines are harvested and most readily available.
  • We always look forward to clementine season for the fresh, sweet fruit.
• Used attributively (as a noun modifier) to describe other items with qualities reminiscent of the fruit, such as its color.
  • She painted the accent wall a warm clementine orange.

Variants and Related Words

• Clementine tree (n): The tree on which clementines grow.
  • The clementine tree in their garden bore fruit for the first time this year.
• Mandarin (n): The broader category of citrus fruit to which the clementine belongs. All clementines are mandarins, but not all mandarins are clementines.

Synonyms

• Mandarin orange: A general term for the category.
• Tangerine: A closely related type of mandarin orange; often used interchangeably in casual conversation, though they are distinct varieties.

Related Phrases

• Easy as peeling a clementine: An informal phrase emphasizing how simple a task is, referencing the fruit's famously easy-to-remove peel.
  • Setting up the new phone was as easy as peeling a clementine.

Noun

1. a mandarin orange of a deep reddish orange color and few seeds
2. a variety of mandarin orange that is grown around the Mediterranean and in South Africa