~ 1 [ 'mand(ə)rɪn ]
■ noun
1》 ( Mandarin ) the standard literary and official form of Chinese.
2》 an official in any of the nine top grades of the former imperial Chinese civil service.
3》 porcelain decorated with figures representing Chinese ~s.
4》 a powerful official or senior bureaucrat.
Derivatives
~ate noun
Origin
C16: from Port. mandarim , via Malay from Hindi mantrī 'counsellor'.
————————
~ 2 [ 'mand(ə)rɪn ]
(also ~e -ri:n )
■ noun
1》 a small flattish citrus fruit with a loose yellow-orange skin.
2》 the citrus tree that yields ~s. [ Citrus reticulata .]
Origin
C18: from Fr. ~e ; perh. related to ~ 1 , the colour of the fruit being likened to the official's yellow robes.