(in the Chinese Empire) a member of any of the nine senior grades of the bureaucracy, entered by examinations
2.
a high-ranking official whose powers are extensive and thought to be outside political control
3.
a person of standing and influence, as in literary or intellectual circles
4.
a.
a small citrus tree, Citrus nobilis, cultivated for its edible fruit
b.
the fruit of this tree, resembling the tangerine
Derived forms
mandarinate (ˈmandarinate)
noun
Word origin
C16: from Portuguese mandarim, via Malay menteri from Sanskrit mantrin counsellor, from mantra counsel
Examples of 'mandarin orange' in a sentence
mandarin orange
Get away from the usual plastic look and make a statement with bright pink, lipstick red or even this season's hot colour, mandarin orange.
Globe and Mail (2003)
There are pickled plums, radish greens, hand-made pastries, more than 50 varieties of wild herbs, giant artichokes, bee pollen and mandarin orange preserves.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They were also armed with a box of over-ripe mandarin oranges.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Concerned that annual imports of mandarin oranges bring disease with them, the agriculture department is 'aggressively promoting' the cultivation of domestic mandarin oranges.