tan Meaning & Definition
What Does Tan Mean?
Tan is a symbol that means The trigonometric function tangent. As a noun, it means A light, brown-like colour. As an adjective, it means Yellowish-brown.
Tan: Key Facts
| Part of speech | symbol, noun, adjective, verb, numeral |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /tæn/ |
| Synonyms | chromatic, burn and bronze |
| Plural | tans |
| Comparative / superlative | tanner, tannest |
| Verb forms | tans, tanning, tanned |
Tan Definition (Symbol)
- The trigonometric function tangent.
Symbol
- ISO 639-3 language code for Tangale.
Tan as a Noun
- A light, brown-like colour.
tan:
- A darkening of the skin resulting from exposure to sunlight or similar light sources.
She still has a tan from her vacation in Mexico.
- The bark of an oak or other tree from which tannic acid is obtained.
- Synonym of wallball.
Tan as an Adjective
- Yellowish-brown.
a tan suit
- Having dark skin as a result of exposure to the sun or an artificial process intended to mimic this effect.
You’re looking very tan this week.
Tan as a Verb
- To change to a tan colour due to exposure to the sun.
No matter how long I stay out in the sun, I never tan, though I do burn.
- To change an animal hide into leather by soaking it in tannic acid.
- To work as a tanner.
- To spank or beat.
- To drink or eat quickly, to guzzle.
- To break or smash, e.g. of a window.
Tan as a Numeral
- The second cardinal number two, formerly used in Celtic areas, especially Cumbria and parts of Yorkshire, for counting sheep, and stitches in knitting.
Noun
- An Armenian drink made of yoghurt and water similar to airan and doogh
Noun
- Synonym of picul, particularly in Cantonese contexts.
Noun
- A twig or small switch.
Verb
- To kill by gun, to shoot.
Noun
- Any of the seven individual geometric shapes that make up a tangram.
Noun
- A yellowish-brown colour.
Adjective
- Of a yellowish-brown.
Mine is the white car parked next to the tan pickup truck.
- Having dark skin as a result of exposure to the sun.
You’re looking very tan this week.
Verb
- To change an animal hide into leather by soaking it in tannic acid. To work as a tanner.
Noun
- A traditional South and East Asian unit of weight, based upon the load of a shoulder pole and varying by place and over time but usually standardized at about 60 kg.
Synonyms of Tan
Tan synonyms and antonyms →Tan in a Sentence
tan:
She still has a tan from her vacation in Mexico.
I'm hoping to get a tan this weekend at the beach.
a tan suit
Mine is the white car parked next to the tan pickup truck.
You’re looking very tan this week.
No matter how long I stay out in the sun, I never tan, though I do burn.
No matter how long I stay out in the sun, I never tan. though I do burn.
Word Forms & Grammar
tan (plural tans)
tan (comparative tanner, superlative tannest)
tan (third-person singular simple present tans, present participle tanning, simple past and past participle tanned)
tan
tan (usually uncountable, plural tans)
Words That Rhyme With Tan
Origin of Tan
Origin 1: From Middle English tan, from Old 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 (θanuuarə), Sanskrit धनु (dhánu).
Origin 2: As a verb, from Middle English tannen, from late Old English tannian (“to tan a hide”), from Latin tannare.
Origin 3: From a Brythonic language; influenced in form by yan (“one”) in the same series.
Origin 4: Borrowed from Armenian թան (tʻan).
Questions People Ask About Tan
Is tan a symbol or a noun?
Tan is mainly used as a symbol, but it can also be used as a noun, an adjective, a verb and a numeral.
What is another word for tan?
Words with a similar meaning to tan include chromatic, burn and bronze. See the full list of tan synonyms and antonyms.
What is the plural of tan?
The plural of tan is tans.
What is the past tense of tan?
The past tense of tan is tanned. The present participle is tanning.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of tan?
The comparative form is tanner and the superlative form is tannest.