tan

The definition of a tan is a yellowish-brownish color, or a darker shade of skin because of sun exposure or a solution used to turn hide into leather.

(noun)

  1. An example of tan is the color of a lion's coat.
  2. An example of a tan is the color of someone's skin who sits out on the beach all day.
  3. An example of tan is a substance used to turn animal skin into a leather bag.

Tan means darkened after browning in the sun, or a yellowish-brownish color.

(adjective)

  1. An example of tan used as an adjective is in the phrase "tan line," which means the line where the tan color skin stops and the untanned color skin starts.
  2. An example of tan used as an adjective is in the phrase "tan paint," which means a paint that is somewhere between yellow and brown.

Tan is defined as to turn hide into leather, or to darken in color because of the sun.

(verb)

  1. An example of tan is to turn animal fur into a leather bag.
  2. An example of tan is to lie in the sun all day.

YourDictionary definition and usage example. Copyright © 2013 by LoveToKnow Corp.

See tan in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

  1. tanbark
  2. tannin or a solution made from it, used to tan leather
  3. a yellowish-brown color
  4. a darkening of the skin as by exposure to the sun or a sunlamp

Origin: MFr < ML tanum, prob. < Gaul

adjective tanner, tannest

  1. of or for tanning
  2. yellowish-brown; tawny

transitive verb tanned, tanning

  1. to change (hide) into leather by soaking in tannin
  2. to produce a tan color in, as by exposure to the sun
  3. Informal to whip severely; flog

Origin: ME tannen < Late OE tannian < ML tannare < the n.

intransitive verb

to become tanned

tangent

See tan in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb tanned tanned, tan·ning, tans
verb, transitive
  1. To convert (hide) into leather, as by treating with tannin.
  2. To make brown by exposure to the sun.
  3. Informal To thrash; beat.
verb, intransitive
To become brown or tawny from exposure to sun.
noun
  1. A light or moderate yellowish brown to brownish orange.
  2. The brown color that sun rays impart to the skin.
  3. Tanbark.
  4. a. Tannin.
    b. A solution derived from tannin.
adjective tan·ner, tan·nest
  1. Light or moderate yellowish-brown to brownish-orange.
  2. Having a suntan.
  3. Used in or relating to tanning.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English tannen

Origin: , from Old English *tannian

Origin: , from Medieval Latin tannāre

Origin: , from tannum, tanbark

Origin: , probably of Celtic origin

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Related Forms:

  • tanˈnish adjective

abbreviation
Mathematics
tangent

noun pl. Tan or Tans
See Tanka.

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