- [countable]
a powerful official of high rank, especially in the civil service 政界要员；（尤指）内务官员 - [countable]
a government official of high rank in China in the past （旧时）中国政府高级官吏 - Mandarin[uncountable]
the standard form of Chinese, which is the official language of China （中文）普通话 - (also mandarin orange)[countable]
a type of small orange with loose skin that comes off easily 柑橘
Word Originsenses 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 similar to the official's yellow robes.