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tan 1 (tăn)
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v. tanned, tan·ning, tans
v.tr.
1. To convert (an animal hide) into leather by subjecting it to a chemical process that stabilizes the proteins, making it less susceptible to decay.
2.
a. To make (a person or a person's skin) darker by exposure to the sun.
b. To make (a person or a person's skin) darker by exposure to artificial sunlight or by the application of certain chemicals, often in the form of sprays or lotions.
3. Informal To thrash; beat.
v.intr.
To become darker from exposure to the sun or artificial sunlight, or from the application of certain chemicals.
n.
1. A light or moderate yellowish brown to brownish orange.
2.
a. A suntan.
b. An artificially created suntan.
3. Tanbark.
4.
a. Tannin.
b. A solution derived from tannin.
adj. tan·ner, tan·nest
1. Light or moderate yellowish-brown to brownish-orange.
2. Having a suntan or the appearance of a suntan.
3. Used in or relating to tanning.
[Middle English tannen, from Old English *tannian, from Medieval Latin tannāre, from tannum, tanbark, probably of Celtic origin.]
tannish adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
tan 2
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abbr.
Mathematics
tangent
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
Tan (tăn)
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n. pl. Tan or Tans
See Tanka.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

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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