First Known Use: 1589
Dictionary
1mandarin
noun man·da·rin \ˈman-d(ə-)rən\
: a small type of orange
: a public official in China in the past
Mandarin : the official language of China
Full Definition of MANDARIN
1
a : a public official in the Chinese Empire of any of nine superior grades b (1) : a pedantic official (2) : bureaucrat c : a person of position and influence often in intellectual or literary circles; especially : an elder and often traditionalist or reactionary member of such a circle
2
capitalized a : a form of spoken Chinese used by the court and the official classes of the Empire b : the group of closely related Chinese dialects that are spoken in about four fifths of the country and have a standard variety centering about Beijing
3
[Swedish mandarin (apelsin) mandarin (orange), ultimately from Portuguese mandarim mandarin; perhaps from the color of a mandarin's robes] a : a small spiny orange tree (Citrus reticulata) of southeastern Asia with yellow to reddish-orange loose-rinded fruits; also : a tree (as the satsuma) developed in cultivation from the mandarin by artificial selection or hybridization b : the fruit of a mandarin
— man·da·rin·ic \ˌman-də-ˈri-nik\ adjective
— man·da·rin·ism \ˈman-d(ə-)rə-ˌni-zəm\ noun
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Origin of MANDARIN
Portuguese mandarim, from Malay mĕntĕri, from Sanskrit mantrin counselor, from mantra counsel — more at mantra
Related to MANDARIN
- Synonyms
- civil servant, functionary, bureaucrat, public servant
Other Language Terms
2mandarin
adjective
Definition of MANDARIN
1
: of, relating to, or typical of a mandarin <mandarin graces>
2
: marked by polished ornate complexity of language <mandarin prose>
First Known Use of MANDARIN
1604
MANDARINS Defined for Kids
mandarin
noun man·da·rin \ˈman-də-rən\
Definition of MANDARIN for Kids
1
: a public official of the Chinese Empire
2
cap : the chief dialect of China
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