# Dane

/ˈdeɪn/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dane
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. person from Denmark

noun · CEFR A2

a person who comes from Denmark or is a citizen of that country.

For teachers: a person of Danish descent or a citizen of Denmark.

- My new neighbour is a Dane who moved here from Copenhagen last year.
- The conference was attended by several prominent Danes who presented their research on sustainable urban planning.

### 2. historical Viking raider

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

one of the people from Scandinavia who attacked or lived in England a long time ago.

For teachers: a member of the North Germanic tribes or Viking groups who raided and settled in England and other parts of Europe during the Middle Ages.

- In history class, we learned about how the Danes settled in the north of England.
- The archaeological site revealed several artefacts belonging to the Danes who had established a trading post along the river in the ninth century.

## Examples

- The dane guards the house at night.
- We adopted a great dane puppy last spring.
- The great dane stands as one of the tallest dog breeds, often serving as a gentle giant in family homes.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.