mandarin orange tree

3.5

A small tree from Southeast Asia that grows sweet, easy-to-peel orange fruit

noun

: árbol de mandarina

We planted a mandarin orange tree in our backyard, and it's already producing fruit.

Examples

The sweet aroma of ripe fruit filled the air around the mandarin orange tree during harvest season.
A mandarin orange tree can thrive in warm, subtropical climates with plenty of sunlight.
The mandarin orange tree is thriving in my backyard.
I planted a mandarin orange tree last spring.
The sweet aroma of ripe fruit filled the air around the mandarin orange tree during harvest season.
A mandarin orange tree can thrive in warm, subtropical climates with plenty of sunlight.
We planted a mandarin orange tree in our backyard, and it's already producing fruit.

Synonyms

mandarin

vsmandarin orange tree

5 1.3

A small sweet orange fruit with loose skin you peel

is the small tree native to southeast Asia known for loose thin rind

mandarin orange

vsmandarin orange tree

1 2.3

A small sweet orange fruit that is easy to peel

is the native small tree noted for aromatic pulp and loose rind

Citrus reticulata

vsmandarin orange tree

Specialized

5.8

A small tree that makes sweet mandarin oranges with thin, easy to peel skin

is the common everyday name for the same tree with thin loose rind

tangerine tree

vsmandarin orange tree

3.3

A small evergreen tree that produces sweet orange fruit like mandarins

is the native small tree known for sweet aromatic pulp and thin rind

clementine tree

vsmandarin orange tree

5.1

A small tree that grows sweet, easy-to-peel oranges often ready in winter

is the small Asian tree valued for its aromatic pulp and loose rind

satsuma tree

vsmandarin orange tree

5.3

A small orange tree that produces sweet seedless fruit you peel easily

is the native tree noted for flavorful pulp and a thin loose rind

How Big

big tree

Specialized

3 3.5

tree

∞ 1.0

mandarin orange tree

3.5

shrub

44 1.0

sapling

16 2.7

Surface Forms

mandarin orange tree singular

mandarin orange trees plural

Morphology

mandarin + orange + tree

The meaning 'a tree that produces mandarin oranges' is directly and transparently built from the constituents: 'mandarin' + 'orange' specifies the type of fruit and 'tree' names the plant. This noun-noun compositional pattern is straightforward and common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the parts will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The name mandarin orange tree comes from the fruit mandarin orange, because the fruit's bright colour reminded people of the robes worn by Chinese officials called 'mandarins'. So a mandarin orange tree simply means a tree that grows these small, sweet oranges.