Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Khitan

noun
Khi·tan
variants: or Kitan \ˈkēˈtän \ or less commonly Chi-dan or Chi-tan \ˈchēˈdän \
plural Khitan or Khitans or Kitan or Kitans

Definition of Khitan 

1 : a conquering Tatar people maintaining hegemony of northern China in the Liao dynasty from the 10th to the 12th centuries

2 : a member of the Khitan people

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Learn More about Khitan

Dictionary Entries near Khitan

khilat

Khirbat Qumran

Khirghiz

Khitan

Khiva

Khlyst

Khmer

Statistics for Khitan

Look-up Popularity

Comments on Khitan

What made you want to look up Khitan? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

viva voce

by word of mouth

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Name that Food Quiz

  • alt-573b465788319
  • Name these cookies!
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games