dean

Use dean in a sentence

noun

The definition of a dean is the head of a school department or church, or the senior member or expert of a group.

An example of a dean is the head of a college of arts and sciences at a university.
An example of a dean is the expert in the field of anthrax; the dean of anthrax research.

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"dean." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEAN>.

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dean. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEAN

dean

1. the presiding official of a cathedral or collegiate church
2. R.C.Ch. a priest chosen by his bishop to supervise a number of parishes within the diocese
an official of a school, college, or university, esp. one in charge of students, faculty, or a division of studies
1. the senior member of a particular group
2. an experienced and preeminent member of a group: the dean of American poets

Origin of dean

Middle English den from Old French deien, dean from Ecclesiastical Late Latin decanus, chief of ten monks from LL(Ec), leader of ten from Classical Latin decem, ten

Dean

a masculine name

Dean

1931-55; U.S. film actor

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MLA Style

"dean." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEAN>.

APA Style

dean. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEAN

dean

noun

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.
Ecclesiastical The head of the chapter of canons governing a cathedral or collegiate church.
Roman Catholic Church A priest appointed to oversee a group of parishes within a diocese.
The senior member of a body or group: the dean of the Washington diplomatic corps.

Origin of dean

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&mlowring; in Indo-European roots.

Related Forms:

dean′ship′
noun

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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MLA Style

"dean." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEAN>.

APA Style

dean. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEAN

Noun

(plural deans)

A senior official in a college or university, who may be in charge of a division or faculty (for example, the dean of science) or have some other advisory or disciplinary function (for example, the dean of students).
A dignitary or presiding officer in certain church bodies, especially an ecclesiastical dignitary, subordinate to a bishop, in charge of a chapter of canon.
The senior member of some group of people.
dean of the diplomatic corps - a country's most senior ambassador
dean of the House - the longest-serving member of a legislature
(Sussex) a hill (chiefly place names).

Anagrams

Origin

From Anglo-Norman deen < Old French deien < Latin decānus.

Proper noun

A title afforded to a dean.
A habitational surname surname from Middle English dene "valley".
A male given name derived from the surname or from the title.

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.

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Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"dean." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEAN>.

APA Style

dean. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEAN

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