dun

1 of 4

adjective

1
a
: having a slightly brownish dark gray color : having the color dun (see dun entry 2 sense 2)
b
of a horse : having a grayish-yellow coat with black mane and tail
2
: marked by dullness and drabness
dunness noun

dun

2 of 4

noun (1)

1
: a horse with a grayish-yellow coat and a black mane and tail : a dun horse
2
: a variable color averaging a nearly neutral slightly brownish dark gray
3
: a subadult mayfly
also, fishing : an artificial fly tied to imitate such an insect

dun

3 of 4

verb

dunned; dunning

transitive verb

1
: to make persistent demands upon for payment
dunning their members for contributions
2
: plague, pester
dunned by troubles literary and monetaryIrish Digest

dun

4 of 4

noun (2)

1
: someone who makes persistent demands upon people for payment : a person who duns (see dun entry 3)
2
: an urgent request
especially : a demand for payment

Examples of dun in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Seduction Cosmetic Center’s Dr. John Sampson was dunned $25,656 and banned from Brazilian butt lifts for his own professional sins, which resulted in the death of a Seduction patient in June 2021. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2024 But that devil would come dunning in the nineteen-thirties, during the battles between New Dealers and the Court led by Charles Evans Hughes. Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2024 The Education Department dunned GCU, the nation’s largest Christian college, $37.7 million for allegedly deceiving prospective students about the cost of its doctoral programs. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 6 Nov. 2023 The agency would dun a public company guilty of a comparable lack of internal controls. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 26 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dun.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English dunn — more at dusk

Verb

origin unknown

Noun (2)

noun derivative of dun entry 3

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1628, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dun was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near dun

Cite this Entry

“Dun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dun. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

dun

1 of 3 noun
1
: a light tan horse with a black mane and tail
2
: a slightly brownish dark gray
dun adjective

dun

2 of 3 verb
dunned; dunning
: to make repeated demands upon for payment
an organization that duns its members for dues

dun

3 of 3 noun
1
: a person who duns another
2
: a demand for payment
Etymology

Noun

Old English dunn (adjective) "having the color of brownish dark gray"

Verb

origin unknown

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