tangelo
Noun: 1. A type of citrus fruit: A tangelo is a specific, large, sweet, and juicy citrus fruit. It is a deliberate hybrid, created by crossing a tangerine (or mandarin orange) with a grapefruit (or pomelo). Its most distinctive physical features are its sweet, juicy interior and its thick, often loose or wrinkled skin.
The word "tangelo" is used as a countable noun to refer to the fruit itself. It is typically used in the same contexts as other citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits. * You can buy, eat, peel, or juice a tangelo. * It is often discussed in agricultural, culinary, or botanical contexts.
- "For breakfast, she preferred a tangelo to an orange because it was easier to peel and had a more complex flavor."
- "The grocery store had a special on tangelos from Florida."
- "The tangelo's unique taste comes from its parentage, combining the sweetness of a mandarin with a subtle tartness from the grapefruit."
- Botanical Classification: In more technical or botanical discussions, "tangelo" refers to the fruit of several named hybrid cultivars, such as 'Minneola' or 'Orlando'. The word specifies not just any hybrid, but a particular group with consistent characteristics.
- Example: "The 'Minneola' tangelo is easily identified by its characteristic nipple-like shape at the stem end."
- Ugli fruit (Noun): This is the brand name for a specific, commercially grown variety of tangelo (a Jamaican tangelo). It is known for its particularly rough, wrinkled, and greenish-yellow skin, but sweet interior.
- Example: "Don't be fooled by the appearance of an Ugli fruit; it's a type of tangelo and is deliciously sweet."
- Citrus hybrid: A general term for any fruit created by crossing two citrus species.
- Honeybell (Noun): A common marketing name for the 'Minneola' tangelo variety, especially when sold with the stem and leaf attached.
The word "tangelo" has one primary meaning as defined above. It does not commonly have metaphorical or alternative meanings. Its use is almost exclusively literal, referring to the citrus fruit.
- large sweet juicy hybrid between tangerine and grapefruit having a thick wrinkled skin
- hybrid between grapefruit and mandarin orange; cultivated especially in Florida