navel orange

noun

: a seedless orange having a pit at the apex where the fruit encloses a small secondary fruit

called also navel

Examples of navel orange in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Now is the time that navel oranges and their varieties — Robertson and Cara Cara prominent among them — begin to ripen and will do so over the next four months. Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 27 Jan. 2024 Harvest citrus now, including limes, kumquats, mandarins, grapefruits, lemons, tangelos and navel oranges. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Feb. 2024 Trim off the top and bottom of a whole navel orange, then cut into wedges. Kathleen Purvis, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 Take this citrus salad first course, which spotlights the sweet navel oranges, Cara Cara oranges, ruby red grapefruit and mandarins arriving at the market right now. David Tanis, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2024 My approach here emphasizes simplicity and bright flavors — and lightness: ginger-spiced carrot soup to open the meal; bay leaf-lemon fish fillets roasted in a hot oven; and a sweet salad of navel orange and pomegranate. David Tanis, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2023 Citrus season has begun, with juicy navel oranges, ready to be peeled and sliced. David Tanis, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2023 Spice up your weekend get-together with a cara cara orange cocktail—your guests will be so impressed. Give your old cranberry orange muffin recipe a tune-up by subbing in cara cara for the classic navel orange. Christina Manian, Rdn, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 July 2023 The citrus business was built on using the popularity of their mandarins to sell grocers and distributors on also buying the rest of their citrus offerings, including navel oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes. Chloe Sorvino, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'navel orange.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of navel orange was in 1856

Dictionary Entries Near navel orange

Cite this Entry

“Navel orange.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/navel%20orange. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

navel orange

noun
: a usually seedless orange that contains a small or partial second fruit at one end resembling a navel
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!