Word
kan
Phoneticskan
/ˈkæn/
Definitions
01historical ruler
n. an older way of spelling 'khan', a title for a powerful ruler in some Asian countries.
n. an archaic orthographic variant of 'khan', denoting a title for a sovereign or military ruler in Central Asian or Mongol contexts.
“The ancient scrolls referred to the great kan who ruled the vast plains.”
“Historical manuscripts from the period often alternate between different transliterations when referring to the local kan and his administrative court.”
Archaic
Teaching tip
This spelling is rarely encountered outside of historical texts or specific academic translations of older literature.
02Japanese unit of weight
n. a Japanese measurement of weight equal to about 3.75 kilograms.
n. a traditional Japanese unit of mass, standardised at approximately 3.75 kilograms or 8.267 pounds.
“The merchant measured the heavy iron bars in kan.”
“Although the metric system is now standard, some traditional industries in Japan historically recorded bulk yields using the kan as a primary unit.”
Technical
Usage
Often used in historical or traditional trade contexts within Japan.
03Mahjong set
n. a set of four identical tiles in the game of Mahjong.
n. a specific meld in the game of Mahjong consisting of four identical tiles.
“She shouted 'kan' as she revealed her fourth matching tile to the other players.”
“Declaring a kan allows a player to draw a replacement tile, though it also reveals a significant portion of their hand to opponents.”
Technical
Usage
Can function as both the name of the set and the verbal call made during play.
Teaching tip
This is a highly specialised term used exclusively by players of Mahjong, particularly the Japanese Riichi variant.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from Japanese 菅 (Kan) or かん (Kan).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.