tanning

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

Examples of tanning in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

So, living hundreds of miles away from a beach and being fully against a tanning bed, what’s my secret to looking and feeling my bronzed-best? —Ivy Odom, Southern Living, 7 June 2025

His body, according to WTHR, was in the Planet Fitness tanning bed for three days before it was found. —Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2025

Tinted Tan Serum The only safe glow is a faux one, and tanning and skin finishing expert James Read has a new collection that makes the DIY process the definition of simple. —Jackie Fields, People.com, 1 June 2025

The third Destination boasts arguably the cruelest kill (the tanning beds), the funniest (the weight machine), and one terrific moment at a fast-food drive-through that plays devilishly with distance and anticipation. —A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 19 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing tanning

• tanning bed
• tanning booth

Rhymes for tanning

• panning
• planing
• 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