tan

Meaning

Noun

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

Adj

1. Yellowish-brown.
2. Having dark skin as a result of exposure to the sun or an artificial process intended to mimic this effect.

Verb

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

Num

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

Verb

To kill by gun, to shoot.

Synonyms

suntan

sunburn

brown

bronze

burn

light brown

tangent

cure

embrown

bark

rumple

bronzed

topaz

soften

sunbathe

become brown

process

reddish

rub

russet

slug

sun-tan

sun-tanned

swarthy

tanbark

tanned

tawny

thwack

wallop

whack

whomp

yellow

get a tan

get sunburnt

tan leather

tawny-brown

yellow-brown

picul

light-brown

reddish black

golden-brown

barken

become sunburnt

dan,picul

amber

tg

assault

attack

👊

auburn

bash

beige

belt

browned

brownish

clobber

clout

curry

🍛

dark red

dye

ecru

fawn

Pronounced as (IPA)

/tæn/

Etymology

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).