dan1
/dan
/noun
1Any of ten degrees of advanced proficiency in judo or karate: he was awarded his first dan...
- He joined the highly-touted Waseda Judo Club, advancing to the rank of fourth dan by his senior year.
- Later he was awarded his seventh dan in the organization.
- He was the founder or ‘Shihan’ and his was the responsibility to authorize his pupils' dans.
1.1A person who has achieved a dan: in five years' time they can become a black belt second dan...
- 'Now he is a second dan and a black belt degree holder,’ said Silvi.
- Richard, a black belt second dan, took up the martial art of shotokan after being bullied in junior school, and found it boosted his confidence.
- Today, the 23-year-old second dan will be competing with the best in the world in one of the most esoteric martial arts on the planet.
Origin
1940s: from Japanese.
Rhymes
dan2
/dan/(also dan buoy)
noun
A small temporary marker buoy with a lightweight flagpole.The short first beat to a dan buoy near the Steamboat Museum gave an indication of unpredictable conditions....
- Sunday brought a strong easterly wind and a course was set in the north lake with a start near FBA south to a dan buoy near Roughholme Island.
- Four anchored dan buoys with radar transponders provided navigational control for the greater part of the survey.
Origin
Late 17th century: of unknown origin.
Dan3
/dan/1(In the Bible) a Hebrew patriarch, son of Jacob and Bilhah (Gen. 30:6).
1.1The tribe of Israel traditionally descended from Dan.
1.2An ancient town in the north of Canaan, where the tribe of Dan settled. It marked the northern limit of the ancient Hebrew kingdom of Israel (Judges 20).