temple orange

7.5

A large sweet fruit with deep orange skin that peels easily

noun
/ˈtɛmpəl ˈɔrɪndʒ/

: naranja temple

The temple orange is prized for its sweetness and easy-to-peel skin.

Examples

Growers in Florida harvest temple oranges from late winter through early spring.
I bought a bag of fresh temple oranges at the farmers' market.
I bought a fresh temple orange from the market.
These temple oranges are perfect for juicing.
Growers in Florida harvest temple oranges from late winter through early spring.
I bought a bag of fresh temple oranges at the farmers' market.
The temple orange is prized for its sweetness and easy-to-peel skin.

Synonyms

citrus fruit

vstemple orange

3 1.3

A juicy fruit with thick skin like an orange or lemon

is a specific large, sweet Florida-grown type that peels easily

mandarin orange

vstemple orange

1 2.3

A small sweet orange fruit that is easy to peel

is larger and grown mainly in Florida rather than being small

king orange

vstemple orange

4.9

A large sweet orange with easy to peel skin grown in Florida

has the same characteristics but is a different variety name

tangor

vstemple orange

9.8

A citrus tree or fruit that is a mix of an orange and a tangerine, sweet and easy to peel

is similar but lacks the hybrid origin note

Valencia orange

vstemple orange

2.1

A sweet orange that is very juicy and often grown for juice

is similar but focuses on easy-to-peel skin rather than juiciness

sweet orange

vstemple orange

1.0

A round fruit with sweet juice and orange skin

is a specific large Florida-grown type with notably easy-to-peel skin

Jaffa orange

vstemple orange

4.2

A sweet orange with thick skin and almost no seeds

has easily peeled skin and larger size rather than thick skin

Surface Forms

temple orange singular

temple oranges plural

Morphology

temple + orange

The word 'orange' clearly identifies the item as a type of citrus fruit, so a B1 learner will infer it's a variety of orange; however 'temple' does not contribute the specific sensory or cultivation properties and likely functions as an arbitrary varietal name or proper noun. Because the modifier signals category but not the particular meaning (large, sweet, easy-to-peel), the expression is only partially predictable from its parts.

Etymology

The fruit name temple orange may come from a place or family called Temple in Florida where the trees were first grown, so people pictured the bright fruit on that garden or farm. That's why the name now refers to a large, sweet, deep-orange citrus that peels easily.