tan

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of tan in English

English Online Dictionary. What means tan‎? What does tan mean?

Translingual

Symbol

tan

(trigonometry) The trigonometric function tangent.

Usage notes

The symbol tan is prescribed by the ISO 80000-2:2019 standard. The symbol tg, traditionally preferred in Eastern Europe and Russia, is explicitly deprecated by ISO 80000-2:2019.

Alternative forms

English

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /tæn/
Rhymes: -æn

Etymology 1

Borrowed from 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).

Noun

tan (plural tans)

A light, brown-like colour.
A darkening of the skin resulting from exposure to sunlight or similar light sources.
The bark of an oak or other tree from which tannic acid is obtained.

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

tan (comparative tanner, superlative tannest)

Yellowish-brown.
Having dark skin as a result of exposure to the sun or an artificial process intended to mimic this effect.
Synonyms: suntanned, tanned

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

As a verb, from Middle English tannen, from late Old English tannian (“to tan a hide”), from Latin tannare.

Verb

tan (third-person singular simple present tans, present participle tanning, simple past and past participle tanned)

(transitive, intransitive) To change to a tan colour due to exposure to the sun.
(transitive, stative) To change an animal hide into leather by soaking it in tannic acid. To work as a tanner.
(transitive, informal) To spank or beat.

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Etymology 3

From a Brythonic language; influenced in form by yan (“one”) in the same series.

Numeral

tan

(dialect, rare) The second cardinal number two, formerly used in Celtic areas, especially Cumbria and parts of Yorkshire, for counting sheep, and stitches in knitting.

Etymology 4

Borrowed from Armenian թան (tʻan).

Noun

tan

An Armenian drink made of yoghurt and water similar to airan and doogh

Translations

Etymology 5

Borrowed from Cantonese 擔／担 (daam3).

Noun

tan (usually uncountable, plural tans)

Synonym of picul, particularly in Cantonese contexts.

Etymology 6

From Middle English *tan, from Old English tān (“twig, shoot, switch”), from Proto-West Germanic *tain, from Proto-Germanic *tainaz (“rod, twig, straw, lot”).

Noun

tan (plural tans)

(dialectal) A twig or small switch.

Related terms

mistletoe

Etymology 7

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”).

Verb

tan (third-person singular simple present tans, present participle tanning, simple past and past participle tanned)

(transitive, MLE, slang) To kill by gun, to shoot.

References

Anagrams

TNA, a'n't, ant, Ant., Ant, an't, NTA, Nat, ant., NAT, ATN, nat, ANT, -ant, ant-, Nat.

Ainu

Alternative forms

taan

Etymology

From ta (“this”) +‎ an (“is”), literally “this being”.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [tan]

Determiner

tan (Kana spelling タン, plural tanokay)

(demonstrative) this

Derived terms

tanpe (“this”)
tanto (“today”)

Breton

Etymology

From Middle Breton tan, from Old Breton tan, from Proto-Brythonic *tan, from Proto-Celtic *teɸnets (“fire”) (compare Old Irish teine, Welsh tân).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈtãːn/

Noun

tan m (plural tanioù)

fire

Inflection

Catalan

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈtan]
Rhymes: -an

Adverb

tan

so, such
(in comparisons, tan ... com) as ... as

Derived terms

tan bon punt

Related terms

tant (“so much, so many”)

Chuukese

Noun

tan

dream

Cornish

Etymology

From Middle Cornish tan, from Old Cornish tan, from Proto-Brythonic *tan, from Proto-Celtic *teɸnets (“fire”) (compare Old Irish teine, Welsh tân).

Noun

tan m (plural tanow)

fire

Mutation

French

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /tɑ̃/
Homophones: tans, tant, taon, temps

Etymology 1

From Latin tannum (“oak bark”), from Gaulish *tannos (“oak”), from Proto-Celtic *tannos (“green oak”).

Noun

tan m (plural tans)

pulped oak bark used in the tanning process (i.e. of tanning leather)

Derived terms

tanin

Etymology 2

Blend of ton +‎ ta.

Determiner

tan n (singular, plural tes)

(gender-neutral, neologism) your

Related terms

Fula

Alternative forms

tun (Pular)

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Adjective

tan

only

Usage notes

Common to all varieties of Fula (Fulfulde / Pulaar / Pular). (however tun is more common in Pular of Futa Jalon)

Adverb

tan

only

Usage notes

Common to all varieties of Fula (Fulfulde / Pulaar / Pular). (however tun is more common in Pular of Futa Jalon)

References

M.O. Diodi, Dictionnaire bilingue fulfuldé-français, français-fulfuldé, Niger(?), 1994.
M. Niang, Pulaar-English English-Pulaar Standard Dictionary, New York: Hippocrene Books, 1997.
D. Osborn, D. Dwyer, and J. Donohoe, A Fulfulde (Maasina)-English-French Lexicon: A Root-Based Compilation Drawn from Extant Sources Followed by English-Fulfulde and French-Fulfulde Listings, East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 1993.
F.W. de St. Croix and the Centre for the Study of Nigerian Languages, Bayero University, Fulfulde-English Dictionary, Kano: The Centre, 1998.
F.W. Taylor, Fulani-English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 1932. (New York:Hippocrene Books, 2005)

Galician

Etymology

Inherited from Latin tam.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈtaŋ/ [ˈt̪ɑŋ]
Rhymes: -aŋ

Adverb

tan

so, as (in comparisons)

Usage notes

Usually paired with como and coma, as tan […] como/coma

Haitian Creole

Etymology

From French temps (“time, weather”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /tã/

Noun

tan

time
weather

Hungarian

Etymology

Back-formation from tanít, tanul, etc. Created during the Hungarian language reform, which took place in the 18th–19th centuries.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈtɒn]
Hyphenation: tan
Rhymes: -ɒn

Noun

tan (plural tanok)

doctrine, lore
science of, theory, branch of instruction
(as a suffix in compounds) -logy, -ology, -graphy (a branch of learning; a study of a particular subject)
Synonym: tudomány
(as a prefix in compounds) educational, academic
Synonym: tanulmányi

Declension

Derived terms

Iban

Etymology

From Proto-Malayic *tahən, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *taqan (“to hold back”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /tan/

Adjective

tan

resistant (not easily damaged)
perseverant
undamaged
invincible
detained

Verb

tan

to arrest; to detain
to hold on someone
to stop something/someone

Derived terms

Japanese

Romanization

tan

Rōmaji transcription of たん

Entry: tan

Javanese

Romanization

tan

Romanization of ꦠꦤ꧀

Jingpho

Etymology

Borrowed from Burmese တန်း (tan:).

Noun

tan

class

References

Kurabe, Keita (2016 December 31) “Phonology of Burmese loanwords in Jinghpaw”, in Kyoto University Linguistic Research‎^[2], volume 35, →DOI, →ISSN, pages 91–128

Mandarin

Romanization

tan

Nonstandard spelling of tān.
Nonstandard spelling of tán.
Nonstandard spelling of tǎn.
Nonstandard spelling of tàn.

Usage notes

Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Middle Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish tan, from Proto-Celtic *tanā (“(point in) time”), from Proto-Indo-European *tn̥néh₂, from *ten- (“to stretch”).

Noun

tan f

(point in) time

Derived terms

in tan (“when”)
in tan sin (“then”)

Descendants

Irish: tan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *tain.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /tɑːn/

Noun

tān m

twig, branch

Declension

Derived terms

tānhlyta, tānhlytere (“diviner”, literally “twig-lot-caster”)
misteltān (“mistletoe”)
wuldortān (“glory-twig”)

Old French

Etymology

From Gaulish *tannos (attested in the place names Tannetum and Tannogilum), from Proto-Celtic *tannos (“green oak”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈtãn/

Noun

tan oblique singular, m (oblique plural tans, nominative singular tans, nominative plural tan)

pulped oak bark used in the tanning process (i.e. of tanning leather)

Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *tanā (“(point in) time”), from Proto-Indo-European *tn̥néh₂, from *ten- (“to stretch”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /tan/

Noun

tan f

(point in) time

Declension

Derived terms

in tan (“when”)

Descendants

Middle Irish: tan
- Irish: tan

Old Javanese

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /tan/
Hyphenation: tan

Adverb

tan

Adjective

tan

Alternative forms

Derived terms

Descendants

> Javanese: ꦠꦤ꧀ (tan) (inherited)

Old Occitan

Alternative forms

tant

Etymology

From Latin tantus.

Adverb

tan

such; so much; to such an extent

Adjective

tan

such; so much

References

Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “tantus”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volumes 13: T–Ti, page 85

Old Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse tǫnn, from Proto-Germanic *tanþs.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /tan/

Noun

tan f

tooth

Declension

Descendants

Swedish: tand

Pipil

Etymology

Compare Classical Nahuatl tlantli (“tooth, teeth”).

Noun

-tan (plural -tajtan)

tooth
(in the plural) dentition

Polish

Etymology

Back-formation from taniec.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈtan/
Rhymes: -an
Syllabification: tan

Noun

tan m inan

(archaic, humorous, usually in the plural) dance
Synonym: taniec

Declension

Derived terms

Related terms

Somali

Determiner

tan

this (feminine)

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin tam.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈtan/ [ˈt̪ãn]
Rhymes: -an
Syllabification: tan

Adverb

tan

so, as
very

Usage notes

Usually paired with como: tan […] como (“as […] as”) or with que: tan […] que (“so […] that”).

Determiner

tan

such, such a

Derived terms

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

From English stand.

Verb

tan

to stay, to reside
to stay, to remain in a state

Swedish

Verb

tan

(archaic or dialectal) second-person plural imperative of ta

Turkish

Etymology

From Ottoman Turkish طاڭ (taŋ), from Common Turkic *taŋ.

Noun

tan (definite accusative tanı, plural tanlar)

dawn, twilight
O gece tan yeri ağırana kadar selâmettir. ― On that night, there is peace till twilight.

Declension

Synonyms

seher
şafak

Vietnamese

Etymology

Non-Sino-Vietnamese reading of Chinese 散 (SV: tán, tản).

Pronunciation

(Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [taːn˧˧]
(Huế) IPA^(key): [taːŋ˧˧]
(Saigon) IPA^(key): [taːŋ˧˧]

Verb

tan • (散, 㪚, 潵, 珊)

to melt
(in a liquid) to dissolve, dissipate
(in certain expressions) to finish; to dismiss

Derived terms

References

Lê Sơn Thanh, "Nom-Viet.dat", WinVNKey (details)

Welsh

Alternative forms

(under): dan, o dan

Etymology

From Middle Welsh tan, from Proto-Brythonic *tan, from Proto-Celtic *tanai, dative of *tanā, from Proto-Indo-European *tn̥néh₂.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /tan/
Rhymes: -an

Preposition

tan (triggers soft mutation on a following noun)

until
(literary) under
while

Usage notes

In literary Welsh, tan can mean both "under" and "until". In Welsh usage today, however, dan (originally the soft mutation of tan) has become a preposition in its own right with the meaning "under" whereas tan means "until", retaining the meaning "under" in certain expressions, compound words and place names. Modern dan or tan are not usually mutated. o dan is an alternative to dan.

Inflection

Mutation

References

R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “tan”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

Wolof

Noun

tan (definite form tan mi)

vulture

Yámana

Noun

tan

earth, soil, dust, ground

Yogad

Adverb

tan

more; -er

Zay

Etymology

Cognate to Silt'e [script needed] (tan).

Noun

tan

smoke (from a fire)

References

Initial SLLE Survey of the Zway Area by Klaus Wedekind and Charlotte Wedekind

tan

tan

Translingual

Symbol

Usage notes

Alternative forms

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun

Derived terms

Translations

Adjective

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

Verb

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

See also

Etymology 3

Numeral

Etymology 4

Noun

Translations

Etymology 5

Noun

Etymology 6

Noun

Related terms

Etymology 7

Verb

References

See also

Anagrams

Ainu

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Determiner

Derived terms

See also

Breton

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Inflection

Catalan

Pronunciation

Adverb

Derived terms

Related terms

Further reading

Chuukese

Noun

Cornish

Etymology

Noun

Mutation

French

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Noun

Derived terms

Further reading

Etymology 2

Determiner

Related terms

See also

Fula

Alternative forms

Etymology

Adjective

Usage notes

Adverb

Usage notes

References

Galician

Etymology