clementine

IPA/ˈkleməntiːn/
KK[klˈɛməntˌaɪn]IPA/ˈkleməntiːn/

clementine — noun

  • clementinesingular
  • clementinesplural

1. a small, sweet citrus fruit with a thin peel that comes off easily and usually h

1.nounB1
Definition

a small, sweet citrus fruit with a thin peel that comes off easily and usually has very few seeds

Example

Layla peeled a clementine for the children after lunch at the park.

peel a clementine

A bowl of clementines sat beside the tea on Grandma's kitchen table.

a bowl of clementines

Common collocations
  • peel a clementine
  • a bowl of clementines
  • seedless clementines
  • sweet clementines
  • clementine segments
Synonyms
  • mandarin

    a broader name for small easy-peel citrus fruits, including clementines

  • tangerine

    very close in everyday use, often for a similar fruit with a deeper color or sharper taste

  • orange

    a more general and usually larger citrus fruit, not this specific easy-peel type

Grammar Patterns

peel a clementine

a bowl of clementines

seedless clementines

Usage Note

Often used for the small easy-peel fruit sold in nets or small boxes. In casual talk, speakers may say mandarin when the exact variety is not important.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For this sense, clementine names a small, sweet citrus fruit that is easy to peel and usually has few seeds. Mandarin is the broader group word, so it can include clementines as well as similar fruits. Tangerine is often used for a very close fruit, but it can suggest a deeper orange skin or a slightly sharper taste. Orange is the everyday word for the larger, more general citrus fruit, so it sounds less exact here. If a child takes two easy-peel fruits to school, clementine or mandarin can fit. Orange is understandable, but it loses the idea of the smaller, seed-light variety.

clementine ↗mandarin ↗tangerine ↗orange ↗

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

The fruit name came into English from French clementine. It is usually linked to Brother Clement Rodier, the French missionary often credited with developing or popularizing this fruit in North Africa. English kept the French-shaped name for the variety.