Definition

Noun 1. A type of citrus fruit: A mandarin orange is a small, somewhat flat citrus fruit with a reddish-orange, loose skin that is easy to peel. The inner pulp is very sweet, aromatic, and divided into segments. 2. The tree bearing this fruit: A mandarin orange is also the shrub or small tree that produces this fruit, native to southeastern Asia.

Examples of Usage

• As a fruit:
  • She packed a mandarin orange in her lunch because it's easy to eat.
  • The recipe calls for the zest and juice of one mandarin orange.
• As a tree (less common in everyday speech):
  • The mandarin orange in their backyard is full of ripe fruit.

Advanced Usage

• Botanical context: In botanical or agricultural discussions, "mandarin orange" can specifically refer to the species , which is the ancestor of many common citrus hybrids like tangerines and clementines.

Variants and Related Words

• Mandarin (noun): Often used as a shorter, more common term for the fruit (e.g., "a can of mandarin segments").
• Tangerine (noun): A popular type of mandarin orange with a deeper red-orange skin.
• Clementine (noun): A seedless variety of mandarin orange, known for its sweet taste and easy-to-peel skin.
• Satsuma (noun): A type of seedless mandarin orange with a particularly loose skin.

Synonyms

• Tangerine (for certain varieties)
• Clementine (for a specific seedless variety)

Related Phrases

• Mandarin orange segments: Refers to the individual, peeled pieces of the fruit, often sold canned.
  • The salad was topped with mandarin orange segments.

Noun

1. a somewhat flat reddish-orange loose skinned citrus of China
2. shrub or small tree having flattened globose fruit with very sweet aromatic pulp and thin yellow-orange to flame-orange rind that is loose and easily removed; native to southeastern Asia