/ ˈmændərɪn; NAmE / noun
1.
[ C ] a powerful official of high rank, especially in the civil service
SYN bureaucrat
2.
[ C ] a government official of high rank in China in the past
3.
Mandarin [ U ] the standard form of Chinese, which is the official language of China
4.
(also ˌmandarin ˈorange ) [ C ] a type of small orange with loose skin that comes off easily
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WORD ORIGIN
senses 1 to 3 late 16th cent. (denoting a Chinese official): from Portuguese mandarim , via Malay from Hindi mantrī counsellor.
sense 4 late 18th cent.: from French mandarine ; perhaps related to mandarin high-ranking Chinese official , the colour of the fruit being likened to the official's yellow robes.