mandarin
noun /ˈmændərɪn/
/ˈmændərɪn/
- [countable] a powerful official of high rank, especially in the civil service synonym bureaucrat
- [countable] a government official of high rank in China in the past
- Mandarin[uncountable] the standard form of Chinese, which is the official language of China
- (also mandarin orange)[countable] a type of small orange with loose skin that comes off easilyTopics Foodc2
Word Originsenses 1 to 3 late 16th cent. (denoting a Chinese official): from Portuguese mandarim, via Malay from Hindi mantrī ‘counsellor’.sense 4 late 18th cent.: from French mandarine; perhaps related to mandarin ‘high-ranking Chinese official’, the colour of the fruit being similar to the official's yellow robes.