1. a small, sweet citrus fruit with loose skin that peels easily
2. a high-ranking government official in imperial China
Usage: historical
3. the official language of China, based on the Beijing dialect

1. of or relating to mandarins or their language

Examples

• She packed a mandarin in her lunch box.
• The mandarin’s sweet juice dripped down his chin.
• Ancient Chinese mandarins wore elaborate silk robes.
• He studied Mandarin for three years in college.
• The business mandarin controlled several major corporations.
• She enrolled in a Mandarin language course.
• The mandarin bureaucracy was known for its complexity.