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dean

(dēn)

a. An administrative officer in charge of a college, faculty, or division in a university.

b. An officer of a college or high school who counsels students and supervises the enforcement of rules.

2. Ecclesiastical The head of the chapter of canons governing a cathedral or collegiate church.

3. Roman Catholic Church A priest appointed to oversee a group of parishes within a diocese.

4. The senior member of a body or group: the dean of the Washington diplomatic corps.

[Middle English deen, from Old French deien, from Late Latin decānus, chief of ten, from decem, ten, or from Greek dekānos, chief of ten (from deka, ten); see dek in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

deanship′ n.

Dean, Jay Hanna Known as "Dizzy." 1911?-1974.

American baseball player. A pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals (1930-1937), he is best remembered for his 1934 season, in which he won 30 regular-season games, led the league in strikeouts, and won two World Series games.

Dean

(dēn), James Byron 1931-1955.

American actor remembered for his moody, rebellious persona in films such as East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause (both 1955).

(click for a larger image)

James Dean

photographed in 1955

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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