Dan Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Dan 1 American [dan] / dæn /

noun

1. 1. (in the Bible) a son of Jacob and Bilhah.

   2. one of the 12 tribes of ancient Israel, traditionally descended from him.

2. the northernmost city of ancient Palestine.

3. a male given name, form of Daniel.

idioms

1. from Dan to Beersheba, from one outermost extreme or limit to the other.

Dan 2 American [dan] / dæn /

noun

Archaic.

1. a title of honor equivalent to master or sir:

   Dan Chaucer.

dan 3 American [dahn, dan] / dɑn, dæn /

noun

Martial Arts.

1. a degree of expertise in karate, judo, tae kwon do, etc., usually signified by the wearing of a cloth belt of a particular color; level.

   a sixth-degree dan.

Dan. 4 American

abbreviation

1. Bible. Daniel.

2. Danish. Also Dan

Dan 1 British / dæn /

noun

1. 1. the fourth son of Jacob (Genesis 30:1–6)

   2. the tribe descended from him

2. a city in the northern territory of Canaan

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Dan. 2 British

abbreviation

1. Bible Daniel

2. Danish

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 dan 3 British / dæn /

noun

1. any one of the 10 black-belt grades of proficiency

2. a competitor entitled to dan grading

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Dan 4 British / dæn /

noun

1. an archaic title of honour, equivalent to Master or Sir

   Dan Chaucer

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 dan 5 British / dæn /

noun

1. Also called: dan buoy. a small buoy used as a marker at sea

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Dan2

1275–1325; Middle English < Old French danz < Medieval Latin domnus, contraction of Latin dominus “lord, master”

Origin of dan3

First recorded in 1940–45; from Japanese, from Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese duàn “step, grade”

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“He made it hip for a progressive to be pro-housing,” said Dan Dunmoyer, president of the California Building Industry Association.

From The Wall Street Journal

Poems were read aloud by actors such as Kate Winslet and Chiwetel Ejiofor, while musical performances were given by the likes of Katie Melua, Dan Smith and Zac Abel.

From BBC

Dan Campbell won’t let the Lions drift, and Minnesota’s offense hasn’t shown enough to exploit Detroit’s defensive flaws.

From Los Angeles Times

Dan Wang writes about how that training shows up in the country’s relentless push to build, build and build.

From Los Angeles Times

So, when Big Dan scored one of the best headers I've ever seen to put us 1-0 up, I cried so hard.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.