tan
nounadjectiveverbnumeralnounnounnounverbcommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//tan//
- United States//tæn//
- Australia//tæːn//
- /[tɛən]/
- /[teːn]/
A light, brown-like colour.
noun
- 1
A light, brown-like colour.
- 2
A darkening of the skin resulting from exposure to sunlight or similar light sources.
She still has a tan from her vacation in Mexico.
I'm hoping to get a tan this weekend at the beach.
- 3
The bark of an oak or other tree from which tannic acid is obtained.
In two pints of water boil one ounce of tan, and a like portion of nutgall till reduced to a pint.
- 4
Synonym of wall ball.
Etymology
From Middle English tan, from Old French tan (“tanbark”), from Gaulish *tannos (“green oak”) – compare Breton tann (“red oak”), Old Cornish tannen –, from Proto-Celtic *tannos (“green oak”), of uncertain origin, but perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *(s)dʰonu (“fir”). Per this hypothesis, related to Hittite [script needed] (tanau, “fir”), Latin femur, genitive feminis (“thigh”), German Tann (“woods”), Tanne (“fir”), Albanian thanë (“cranberry bush”), Ancient Greek θάμνος (thámnos, “thicket”), Avestan 𐬚𐬀𐬥𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬆 (θanuuar^ə), Sanskrit धनु (dhánu).
adjective
- 1
Yellowish-brown.
a tan suit
Mine is the white car parked next to the tan pickup truck.
The history of suits in politics is long and storied: from Obama’s “shocking” tan suit, now infamous enough to have its own Wikipedia page, […].
- 2
Having dark skin as a result of exposure to the sun or an artificial process intended to mimic this effect.
You’re looking very tan this week.
verb
- 1
To change to a tan colour due to exposure to the sun.
No matter how long I stay out in the sun, I never tan, though I do burn.
- 2
To change an animal hide into leather by soaking it in tannic acid.
- 3
To work as a tanner.
- 4
informalTo spank or beat.
"Well, go 'long and play; but mind you get back some time in a week, or I'll tan you."
Etymology
As a verb, from Middle English tannen, from late Old English tannian (“to tan a hide”), from Latin tannare.
numeral
- 1
rareThe second cardinal number two, formerly used in Celtic areas, especially Cumbria and parts of Yorkshire, for counting sheep, and stitches in knitting.
Etymology
From a Brythonic language; influenced in form by yan (“one”) in the same series.
noun
- 1
An Armenian drink made of yoghurt and water similar to airan and doogh
Etymology
Borrowed from Armenian թան (tʻan).
noun
- 1
Synonym of picul, particularly in Cantonese contexts.
Etymology
Borrowed from Cantonese 擔／担 (daam3).
noun
- 1
A twig or small switch.
Etymology
From Middle English *tan, from Old English tān (“twig, shoot, switch”), from Proto-West Germanic *tain, from Proto-Germanic *tainaz (“rod, twig, straw, lot”).
verb
- 1
slangTo kill by gun, to shoot.
Step on the wing, see an opp and I'll whack it Do it like Super Savage Who's the yute I Jet-Li-rise that dots and tan him (whoosh) Rise that dots and tan him
Etymology
It may either be a figurative use of the usual verb tan (“to cause to acquire a brownish colour”) or a Jamaican Creole pronunciation of turn, compare bun (“to kill particularly by gunshot”).
Forms
- plural
- tans
- comparative
- tanner
- superlative
- tannest
- past tense
- tanned
- past participle
- tanned
- present participle
- tanning
- third person singular
- tans