tanning

1 of 2

noun

tan·​ning ˈta-niŋ 

1

: a browning of the skin especially by exposure to sun

2

: the art or process by which a skin is tanned

3

: a sound spanking

4

: a natural darkening and hardening of the cuticle of an insect immediately after molting

tanning

2 of 2

present participle of tan entry 1

Examples of tanning in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

She was arrested and charged with second-degree child endangerment after her daughter reportedly arrived at school with sunburns, sparking a media frenzy over Krentcil's extreme tanning habits and parenting. — Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Her car was found the following day with the decal for her tanning business scraped off the window, and her cellphone was recovered from a lake south of Orlando, according to police. — ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Bethany and David recognized that shift early and have built a brand that makes self-tanning feel much more like modern prestige skin care. — Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026

The woman had been a member of the gym for more than seven years and regularly used its tanning facilities, according to a statement from the Dallas law firm Rogge Dunn Group. — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing tanning

• tanning bed
• tanning booth

Rhymes for tanning

• panning
• planning
• scanning
• spanning
• preplanning
• replanning
• scintiscanning

Kids Definition

tanning

noun

tan·​ning

ˈtan-iŋ

1

: the art or process by which an animal skin is tanned

2

: a browning of the skin especially by exposure to the sun

3

: a usually severe whipping

Medical Definition

tanning

noun

tan·​ning ˈtan-iŋ 

: a browning of the skin by exposure to sun