tan

verb \ ˈtan \

|Updated on: 8 Aug 2018

Examples: tan in a Sentence

Definition of tan

tanned; tanning

transitive verb

1 : to make (skin) tan especially by exposure to the sun

2 a : to convert (hide) into leather by treatment with an infusion of tannin-rich bark or other agent of similar effect

b : to convert (protein) to leather or a similar substance

3 : thrash, whip

intransitive verb

: to get or become tan

See tan defined for English-language learners

See tan defined for kids

Recent Examples of tan from the Web

He was brought into court in a wheelchair, sporting a white beard, glasses, and tan prison garb.

— travis andersen, BostonGlobe.com, "Convicted sex offender Wayne Chapman ordered held without bail on charges of exposing himself," 9 July 2018
After 25 minutes, the peaches are tanned, caramelized and the skin can be peeled off with a slight tug of the thumb.

— chuck blount, San Antonio Express-News, "The 4 fruits to put in the smoker, and 5 to avoid," 9 July 2018
The top racers are tanned and freckled from time spent running outside, with muscular arms and uneven tan lines.

— pia peterson, New York Times, "Road Race of the Superwomen," 5 July 2018
L'Eau Tan, a subtle self-tanning spritz, joins a handful of innovative new-to-market atomizers, such as James Read's coconut water spray and St. Tropez's bronzing face mist.

— zoe ruffner, Vogue, "5 Self-Tanning Mists for Your Best Summer Glow Yet," 25 June 2018
His hair was black, but his pale skin, inherited from his Polish father, never tanned.

— Longreads, "The Cold War and its Fallout," 16 June 2018
The final straw to break the camel’s back will probably be tanning salons.

— jacob gallagher, WSJ, "Dapper Dan Used to Knock Off Gucci. Now, He’s Collaborating With Them," 14 May 2018
The purpose of sun protection was still to safely tan, not to fully block out the UV rays of the sun.

— Allure, "See How Sunscreen and Sun Care Evolved Over the Last 100 Years in Just 4 Minutes," 29 May 2018
So thanks, mesoscale convective vortex, for ruining our plans to tan.

— sarah brookbank, Cincinnati.com, "Weird Cincinnati weather: A mesoscale convective vortex is headed this way," 9 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tan.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of tan

Middle English tannen, from Anglo-French tanner, from Medieval Latin tannare, from tanum, tannum tanbark

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2a

See Words from the same year

tan Synonyms

Synonyms

bash, bat, batter, beat, belabor, belt, birch, bludgeon, buffet, bung up, club, drub, flog, hammer, hide, lace, lash, lick, maul, mess (up), paddle, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, punch out, rough (up), slate, slog, switch, thrash, thresh, thump, wallop, whale, whip, whop (or whap), whup, work over;

blackjack, cane, cowhide, flagellate, horsewhip, leather, pistol-whip, rawhide, scourge, strap;

gore, lacerate, wound;

maim, mangle, mutilate;

Phrases

beat up on;

tan

adjective

Definition of tan

tanner; tannest

1 : of the color tan

2 : of, relating to, or used for tan or tanning

See tan defined for English-language learners

Examples of tan in a Sentence

I can't believe how tan she is!
a horse with tan markings

Recent Examples of tan from the Web

This drama is also why the tannest photo of 2018, Selena and Kylie at this year’s Met Gala, was so major, as the two ladies hadn’t been seen together in years.

— mariah smith, The Cut, "Like Everything, Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin’s Relationship Is Connected to the Kardashians," 11 July 2018
In movies, the music industry’s shady opportunists are often cast as overly tan white men with heavy gold chains, who wear their dyed hair teased high.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "Forced to Perform As Aretha Franklin," 2 July 2018
Police say a black man between 20 and 30 years old driving a newer model, tan four-door sedan was involved in an accident in the parking lot at 1132 Sycamore St., Pendleton, around 12:55 a.m. Sunday.

— avery jennings, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati Police: Man struck woman in face after minor parking lot accident," 10 June 2018
Both wore tinted sunglasses while Dunst, 36, held a hand to her baby bump that was showcased under a knee-length Snyder cashmere dress by Equipment (available here in black) and tan trench coat.

— jen juneau, PEOPLE.com, "Bumping Along! Pregnant Kirsten Dunst Shows Off Her Baby Belly During Outing with Jesse Plemons," 3 May 2018
Owners Dan and Hannah Carruthers have designed a sleek, European-looking space that’s awash with white and tan hues, giving it a subtle feel without all those neon-bright colors found at American eateries these days.

— james patrick kelly, idahostatesman, "Special sandwiches: Tasso exhibits global flair with deli fare | Idaho Statesman," 26 Apr. 2018
Authorities said Moore was driving a white and tan Ford F-150 King Ranch pickup registered to his wife.

— barbara boyer, Philly.com, "South Jersey man charged with murder in 'road rage' incident," 25 Apr. 2018
Mack, 35, appeared in tan jail smocks for a brief court appearance.

— Washington Post, "‘Smallville’ actress granted bail in alleged sex cult case," 24 Apr. 2018
Gonzalez said Apollo, a brown and tan German Shepard, is four years old and weighs in at about 75 pounds.

— linda gandee/special to cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "K-9 proves a hit with the Rocky River Citizen Police Academy class; juvenile crimes are involving more social media," 26 Feb. 2018

First Known Use of tan

1586

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

tan

noun

Definition of tan

1 : a brown color imparted to the skin especially by exposure to the sun

2 : a light yellowish brown

3 tans plural : tan-colored articles of clothing

4 : a tanning material or its active agent (such as tannin)

See tan defined for English-language learners

Examples of tan in a Sentence

I got a tan on my vacation.

Recent Examples of tan from the Web

Alissa Ashley herself uses shade 15.9 Warm Honey, a medium tan with caramel undertones.

— marci robin, Allure, "Exclusive: Nyx Is Launching a New Full-Coverage Foundation in 45 Shades," 11 July 2018
Stockholm saw a tan checked suit, while Birmingham, England was all about the bright blue wool.

— lindsay weinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, "Harry Styles Wears Custom Calvin Klein 205W39NYC For World Tour," 26 June 2018
According to an earlier Community Alert about the robberies, the robbers were seen fleeing in a tan Pontiac 4-door vehicle.

— chicagotribune.com, "Police: Boys, 13 and 16, accused of Old Town armed robberies," 23 June 2018
Police found a water bottle inside the car, which was filled with a tan liquid that smelled like alcohol.

— erik s. hanley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Cudahy woman charged with 4th OWI was so drunk she needed to carried from her car on a stretcher, police say," 13 June 2018
Working off a description provided by two eyewitnesses, the police began a search for a 2006 tan Toyota Corolla.

— ruth bruno, courant.com, "Waterford Man Arrested After Hitting Adult And Child Pedestrian," 11 June 2018
The woman who had been driving the tan Toyota sat cuffed to a table in front of the DUI bus.

— nathan j. fish, azcentral, "More than 14 drivers arrested at Mesa DUI checkpoint near Red Mountain Ranch," 28 May 2018
The hot fire tan for 25 seconds at 100 percent power for the engine.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "NASA Successfully Test Fires 3D-Printed Rocket Engine Part," 10 May 2018
Lace bugs attack a variety of shrubs and trees causing leaves to turn light brown or tan.

— neil sperry, star-telegram, "The tough half of the gardening marathon is ahead. Here's how to finish strong," 6 July 2018

Origin and Etymology of tan

French, tanbark, from Old French, from Medieval Latin tanum

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1674

in the meaning defined at sense 4

See Words from the same year

tan

abbreviation

Definition of tan

tangent

TAN Defined for English Language Learners

tan

verb

Definition of tan for English Language Learners

: to cause (skin) to become darker especially from being exposed to the sun's rays
: to become darker especially from being exposed to the sun's rays
: to change (the skin of an animal) into leather by a chemical process

tan

adjective

Definition of tan for English Language Learners

: having skin that has been made darker by being exposed to the sun's rays
: having a light brown color

tan

noun

Definition of tan for English Language Learners

: a browning of the skin that is caused by the sun's rays
: a light brown color

TAN Defined for Kids

tan

verb \ ˈtan \

Definition of tan for Students

tanned; tanning

1 : to change animal hide into leather especially by soaking in a tannin solution

2 : to make or become brown in color

She doesn't tan. Instead, she gets a sunburn.

3 : ¹beat 1, thrash

tan

adjective

Definition of tan for Students

tanner; tannest

: of a light yellowish brown color

tan

noun

Definition of tan for Students

1 : a brown color given to the skin by the sun or wind

2 : a light yellowish brown : the color of sand

Medical Dictionary

tan

verb \ ˈtan \

medical Definition of tan

tanned; tanning

transitive verb

: to make (skin) tan especially by exposure to the sun

intransitive verb

: to get or become tanned

tan

noun

medical Definition of tan

: a brown color imparted to the skin by exposure to the sun or wind

Learn More about tan

See words that rhyme with tan Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tan Spanish Central: Translation of tan Nglish: Translation of tan for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tan for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tan

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tan

Definition of tan

Recent Examples of tan from the Web

Origin and Etymology of tan

tan Synonyms

Synonyms

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tan

Definition of tan

Examples of tan in a Sentence

Recent Examples of tan from the Web

First Known Use of tan

tan

Definition of tan

Examples of tan in a Sentence

Recent Examples of tan from the Web

Origin and Etymology of tan

tan

Definition of tan

Phrases Related to TAN

Related Phrases

TAN Defined for English Language Learners

tan

Definition of tan for English Language Learners

tan

Definition of tan for English Language Learners

tan

Definition of tan for English Language Learners

TAN Defined for Kids

tan

Definition of tan for Students

tan

Definition of tan for Students

tan

Definition of tan for Students

Medical Dictionary

tan

medical Definition of tan

tan

medical Definition of tan

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