Mandarin language

Mandarin Man`da*rin", n. [Pg. mandarim, from Malay mantr[=i] minister of state, prop. a Hind. word, fr. Skr. mantrin a counselor, manira a counsel, man to think.] 1. A Chinese public officer or nobleman; a civil or military official in China and Annam. [1913 Webster]

2. Hence: A powerful government official or bureaucrat, especially one who is pedantic and has a strong sense of his own importance and privelege. [PJC]

3. Hence: A member of an influential, powerful or elite group, espcially within artistic or intellectual circles; -- used especially of elder members who are traditionalist or conservative about their specialties. [PJC]

5. The form of the Chinese language spoken by members of the Chinese Imperial Court an officials of the empire. [PJC]

6. Any of several closely related dialects of the Chinese language spoken by a mojority of the population of China, the standard variety of which is spoken in the region around Beijing. [PJC]

7. (Bot.) A small flattish reddish-orange loose-skinned orange, with an easily separable rind. It is thought to be of Chinese origin, and is counted a distinct species ({Citrus reticulata} formerly {Citrus nobilis}); called also {mandarin orange} and {tangerine}. [1913 Webster]

{Mandarin language}, the spoken or colloquial language of educated people in China.

{Mandarin yellow} (Chem.), an artificial aniline dyestuff used for coloring silk and wool, and regarded as a complex derivative of quinoline. [1913 Webster]