tan
1 of 4verb
ˈtan 
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
tan
2 of 4adjective
tanner; tannest
1
: of the color tan
2
: of, relating to, or used for tan or tanning
tan
3 of 4noun
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)
tan
4 of 4abbreviation
tangent
Synonyms
Verb
- birch
- cowhide
- flagellate
- flail
- flog
- hide
- horsewhip
- lash
- leather
- rawhide
- scourge
- slash
- switch
- thrash
- whale
- whip
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective I can't believe how tan she is! a horse with tan markings Noun I got a tan on my vacation.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Aug. 2022 Someone who wants to shop for one product that can tan both the face and the body (and is vetted by professionals). Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 24 Aug. 2022 In baseball, however, teams may tan to get a higher percentage share of league revenue at the end of the season. Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2022 They tan, parade and snuggle in their bikinis, trunks and whatnot. Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2021 And there's different instances of the normal story of the different hair and going swimming, that black people don't tan; that's huge in Florida. Dawn Ennis, Forbes, 19 June 2021 Two or three yolks (no egg whites included) are enough to tan something small like a rabbit pelt. Tim Macwelch, Outdoor Life, 24 Dec. 2020 The brain of every game animal contains the perfect volume and balance of conditioning oils to tan its own hide. Tim Macwelch, Outdoor Life, 24 Dec. 2020 The materials that go into this bag are Leather Working Group Gold-certified, meaning the leather is tanned in the highest level of compliance with sustainable measures, such as energy and water consumption, waste management, and effluent treatment. Camryn Rabideau, USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2020 Brenda Goodman, CNN, 13 May 2022 Unlike other self-tan products, these face drops also happen to smell amazing, like an island getaway. Rana Good, Forbes, 31 Jan. 2022 Bolduc estimated the mission cost the state approximately $500,000 for trooper salaries, travel expenses and items such as greenish-tan uniforms that are standard in Texas. Grant Schulte, Star Tribune, 22 July 2021 Outside the cage, Marlee Breese, dressed in a tan Hawaiian shirt with pink and yellow flowers, takes a small vitamin and stuffs it down the throat of a thawing five-centimeter-long fish called a lake smelt. Melody Bentz, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 July 2021 The chicken should be falling off the bone and become quite tan as well. Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2021 There's a tan-colored fence surrounding the vast, mostly empty, cemetery. AZCentral.com, 17 Dec. 2020 Three men wearing only tan-colored briefs kneel on the stage. Tim Diovanni, Dallas News, 12 Nov. 2020 Trademark farmer tans and sock line tan lines – big time! Susan Glaser, cleveland, 3 May 2020 Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 24 Aug. 2022 With standard styles hitting just below the knee, and the ever-so-wearable tan-brown-black color palette, new options come with 2022 details, such as unexpected colorways, thick rubber soles, and even western-style touches. Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 22 Aug. 2022 If green isn't your hue, why not opt for this mauve-y tan that Jennifer Lopez sported—for none other than her wedding to Ben Affleck? Jillian Ruffo, Harper's BAZAAR, 17 Aug. 2022 These super soft styles come in classic neutrals like black, beige, and a deeper tan, as well as fresh, summery shades like dusty orchid, aqua, desert rose, and so many more. Jennifer Chan, PEOPLE.com, 12 July 2022 As cosmetic chemist Ginger King previously explained to Allure, DHA reacts with the amino acids on the top layer of the skin to provide a gradual tan. Angela Trakoshis, Allure, 13 July 2022 Leave it on for two hours for a minimal bronze, or go more dramatic with your faux tan by leaving it on your skin for three hours. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 12 July 2022 The two share similar tan and brown colorings, and gopher snakes will often hiss or vibrate their tails when threatened, according to the wildlife division. Paighten Harkins, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 June 2022 DiMarchi loves this mask for lightening your tan and providing a gentle exfoliation. ELLE, 22 Apr. 2022 See More
Verb
The white flower heads usually transform to pink or tan as the weather cools. Sheryl Geerts, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Aug. 2022 Someone who wants to shop for one product that can tan both the face and the body (and is vetted by professionals). Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 24 Aug. 2022 In baseball, however, teams may tan to get a higher percentage share of league revenue at the end of the season. Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2022 They tan, parade and snuggle in their bikinis, trunks and whatnot. Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2021 And there's different instances of the normal story of the different hair and going swimming, that black people don't tan; that's huge in Florida. Dawn Ennis, Forbes, 19 June 2021 Two or three yolks (no egg whites included) are enough to tan something small like a rabbit pelt. Tim Macwelch, Outdoor Life, 24 Dec. 2020 The brain of every game animal contains the perfect volume and balance of conditioning oils to tan its own hide. Tim Macwelch, Outdoor Life, 24 Dec. 2020 The materials that go into this bag are Leather Working Group Gold-certified, meaning the leather is tanned in the highest level of compliance with sustainable measures, such as energy and water consumption, waste management, and effluent treatment. Camryn Rabideau, USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2020 Adjective
These preparations blanch the normally deep burgundy tissue to pale fleshy color that’s not quite tan and not quite pink. Brenda Goodman, CNN, 13 May 2022 Unlike other self-tan products, these face drops also happen to smell amazing, like an island getaway. Rana Good, Forbes, 31 Jan. 2022 Bolduc estimated the mission cost the state approximately $500,000 for trooper salaries, travel expenses and items such as greenish-tan uniforms that are standard in Texas. Grant Schulte, Star Tribune, 22 July 2021 Outside the cage, Marlee Breese, dressed in a tan Hawaiian shirt with pink and yellow flowers, takes a small vitamin and stuffs it down the throat of a thawing five-centimeter-long fish called a lake smelt. Melody Bentz, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 July 2021 The chicken should be falling off the bone and become quite tan as well. Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2021 There's a tan-colored fence surrounding the vast, mostly empty, cemetery. AZCentral.com, 17 Dec. 2020 Three men wearing only tan-colored briefs kneel on the stage. Tim Diovanni, Dallas News, 12 Nov. 2020 Trademark farmer tans and sock line tan lines – big time! Susan Glaser, cleveland, 3 May 2020 Noun
Depending on the product, your tan should last between one and three days without needing reapplication. Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 24 Aug. 2022 With standard styles hitting just below the knee, and the ever-so-wearable tan-brown-black color palette, new options come with 2022 details, such as unexpected colorways, thick rubber soles, and even western-style touches. Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 22 Aug. 2022 If green isn't your hue, why not opt for this mauve-y tan that Jennifer Lopez sported—for none other than her wedding to Ben Affleck? Jillian Ruffo, Harper's BAZAAR, 17 Aug. 2022 These super soft styles come in classic neutrals like black, beige, and a deeper tan, as well as fresh, summery shades like dusty orchid, aqua, desert rose, and so many more. Jennifer Chan, PEOPLE.com, 12 July 2022 As cosmetic chemist Ginger King previously explained to Allure, DHA reacts with the amino acids on the top layer of the skin to provide a gradual tan. Angela Trakoshis, Allure, 13 July 2022 Leave it on for two hours for a minimal bronze, or go more dramatic with your faux tan by leaving it on your skin for three hours. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 12 July 2022 The two share similar tan and brown colorings, and gopher snakes will often hiss or vibrate their tails when threatened, according to the wildlife division. Paighten Harkins, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 June 2022 DiMarchi loves this mask for lightening your tan and providing a gentle exfoliation. ELLE, 22 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English tannen, from Anglo-French tanner, from Medieval Latin tannare, from tanum, tannum tanbark
Noun
French, tanbark, from Old French, from Medieval Latin tanum
First Known Use
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2a
Adjective
1586, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Noun
1674, in the meaning defined at sense 4
Phrases Containing tan
Kids Definition
tan 1 of 3
verb
ˈtan
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
: beat entry 1 sense 1, thrash
tan
2 of 3adjective
tanner; tannest
: of a light yellowish brown color
tan
3 of 3noun
1
: a brown color given to the skin by the sun or wind
2
: a light yellowish brown : the color of sand
Medical Definition
tan 1 of 2
verb
ˈtan
tanned; tanning
transitive verb
: to make (skin) tan especially by exposure to the sun
intransitive verb
: to get or become tanned
tan
2 of 2noun
: a brown color imparted to the skin by exposure to the sun or wind
tanned 1 of 2
adjective
as in suntanned
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- suntanned
- bronzed
- brown
- ruddy
- red
- rubicund
- rosy
- pinkish
- pink
- sanguine
- blooming
- flushed
- florid
- glowing
- warm
- blushing
- blowsy
- bloomy
- blowzy
- flush
- full-blooded
- cherubic
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- pale
- pasty
- pallid
- sallow
- ashen
- doughy
- white
- palish
- ashy
- wan
- waxen
- livid
- whitened
- waxy
- lurid
- mealy
- blanched
- peaky
- peaked
- paled
- sickly
- sallowish
- sick
- cadaverous
- anemic
- bloodless
- whey-faced
- white-faced
tanned
2 of 2verb
1
as in whipped
to strike repeatedly with something long and thin or flexible Grandpa told us that when he was a kid, if he misbehaved at all, his father would tan his backside with a belt Synonyms & Similar Words
- whipped
- leathered
- hided
- slashed
- lashed
- flicked
- spanked
- flagellated
- thrashed
- licked
- scourged
- cut
- slapped
- whaled
- switched
- horsewhipped
- flogged
- flailed
- birched
- punched
- banged
- cowhided
- hit
- mauled
- pounded
- knocked
- smacked
- strapped
- rawhided
- clipped
- whacked
- batted
- swiped
- caned
- clapped
- battered
- thumped
- boxed
- beat
- swatted
- clubbed
- lathered
- cracked
- knouted
- cuffed
- paddled
- pelted
- touched up
- mangled
- pasted
- socked
- cudgeled
- quirted
- hammered
- roughed
- pummeled
- thwacked
- bashed
- blackjacked
- busted
- laced
- clobbered
- bust
- cudgelled
- basted
- bludgeoned
- clouted
- bopped
- slugged
- buffeted
- whupped
- bunged
- belted
- worked over
- smote
- walloped
- fustigated
- pistol-whipped
- slated
- lammed
- drubbed
- belabored
- threshed
- fibbed
- pummelled
- pommeled
- tromped
- pommelled
- clapt
- slogged
- lambasted
- whapped
- whopped
2
as in licked
to strike repeatedly a time when children were routinely tanned for misbehavior Synonyms & Similar Words
- licked
- pounded
- lashed
- battered
- whipped
- hided
- pelted
- spanked
- slapped
- beat
- punched
- attacked
- did
- lathered
- chopped
- mauled
- smashed
- thumped
- batted
- knocked
- assaulted
- hit
- paddled
- curried
- slammed
- pummeled
- hammered
- bashed
- clubbed
- thrashed
- laced
- basted
- boxed
- bludgeoned
- punched out
- smacked
- whupped
- buffeted
- whacked
- belted
- worked over
- birched
- flogged
- wounded
- raided
- leathered
- slated
- fibbed
- belabored
- threshed
- walloped
- pummelled
- switched
- whaled
- swiped
- pommeled
- tromped
- cracked
- pommelled
- slogged
- drubbed
- beat up on
- whapped
- lambasted
- whopped
- bunged up
- cuffed
- pasted
- stormed
- strapped
- swatted
- socked
- rushed
- caned
- laid on
- lacerated
- roughed (up)
- clobbered
- busted
- flagellated
- mutilated
- clouted
- scourged
- bust
- assailed
- thwacked
- horsewhipped
- beset
- messed (up)
- lammed
- cudgelled
- gored
- cudgeled
- mangled
- cowhided
- maimed
- blackjacked
- descended (on or upon)
- whomped
- whammed
- rawhided
- pistol-whipped
- fustigated
- pounced (on or upon)
- jumped (on)