Orange has 11 different meanings across 3 categories:
Noun · Adjective · Proper Noun
round yellow to orange fruit of any of several citrus trees
"I peeled the orange and squeezed the juice into my glass before breakfast."
orange color or pigment; any of a range of colors between red and yellow
"The sunset painted the sky in brilliant shades of orange, glowing warmly behind the distant hills."
any citrus tree bearing oranges
"The old orchard was full of orange trees, and their branches were heavy with ripe fruit this autumn."
any pigment producing the orange color
"The artist mixed cadmium red and yellow to create a vibrant orange for the sunset sky."
a river in South Africa that flows generally westward to the Atlantic Ocean
"During our trip through KwaZulu-Natal, we spent the afternoon fishing along the banks of the Orange River as it meandered toward the ocean."
An evergreen tree of the genus Citrus such as Citrus sinensis.
"We planted a young orange in the backyard to provide shade during the summer months."
In plain English: An orange is a round, juicy fruit with thick skin and sweet, segmented flesh inside.
"She peeled an orange for breakfast."
Usage: Use "orange" to refer to the sweet, citrus fruit or the color derived from it. Do not use this word when describing the tree itself, which should be called an orange tree.
To color orange.
"The chef decided to dye the carrots orange so they would match the festive decorations."
In plain English: To orange something means to dye it the color of an orange fruit.
"The juice will start to separate and turn into a layer on top if you let it sit too long."
Usage: Do not use "orange" as a verb to mean coloring something; instead, use the noun form or a phrase like "turn orange." The word functions only as a noun describing the fruit or the color itself.
Having the colour of the fruit of an orange tree; yellowred; reddish-yellow.
"The local parade was organized by a prominent member of the Orange Order."
Relating to the Orange Order.
In plain English: Orange describes something that has the bright color of the fruit we eat for breakfast.
"She bought an orange shirt for her trip to Florida."
Usage: As an adjective describing color, orange refers to the warm hue between red and yellow, such as in orange juice or an orange shirt. Do not use it to describe someone's political alignment with the Orange Order unless you are specifically referring to their sectarian identity.
A city in Provence, France.
"After visiting Avignon and Arles, our next stop on the southern tour was Orange to see its ancient Roman amphitheater."
The word "orange" entered English via Middle English and Old French, originally referring to the fruit rather than the color. Its roots trace back through Italian and Arabic to a Sanskrit term for the orange tree, which itself likely comes from an ancient Dravidian language.