Tangerine usually refers to a type of mandarina small citrus fruit similar to an orange, often easy to peel orange. It can also name a bright reddishslightly red in color, but not fully red orange color, and as an adjectivea word that describes a noun or pronoun it describes something that has that color.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-29. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˌtændʒəˈriːn/
Easy pronunciation: tan-juh-REEN (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the last syllable.
Fruit sense: a variety of mandarin orange.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-29. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Tangerine Meaning
a small orange citrus fruit similar to a mandarin
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a variety of mandarin orange
Example: She peeled a tangerine for a quick snack.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- tangerine tree — This is related to the fruit sense, but it names the tree rather than the fruit itself.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-29. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Tangerine
Meaning 2
a deep orange type of mandarin orange
Part of speech: noun
Definition: any of various deep orange mandarins grown in the United States and southern Africa
Example: These tangerines are especially sweet and juicy.
Meaning 3
a bright reddish-orange color
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a reddish to vivid orange color
Example: The artist used tangerine in the background.
Meaning 4
having a bright reddish-orange color
Part of speech: adjective
Definition: of a strong reddish orange color
Example: She wore a tangerine scarf.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-29. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Tangerine Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- tangerine tree
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-29. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Tangerine can mean both a fruit and a color, so don’t use color-related words as synonyms for the fruit sense.
- The adjective tangerine describes color; it does not mean the fruit itself.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-29. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does tangerine mean?
Tangerine most often means a type of mandarin orange. It can also mean a bright reddish orange color, or describe something that has that color.
Is tangerine a fruit or a color?
It can be both. The most common meaning is the fruit, but it is also used for a vivid orange color.
What are some synonyms for tangerine?
For the fruit sense, no strong everyday synonym is listed in the source data. For the color sense, tangerine is usually described rather than directly replaced by another single-word synonym.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-29. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
