tan
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.the brown colour your skin gets after you spend time in the sun.
n.the darkening of the skin caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
Simple“She came back from her summer holiday with a deep tan.”
In context“Despite using high-factor sunscreen, he developed a noticeable tan after spending a week sailing in the Mediterranean.”
SynonymssuntanAntonymspaleness - 02 B1 Intermediate
n.a light yellowish-brown colour.
n.a light brown or brownish-yellow colour, often associated with leather or sand.
Simple“The walls were painted a soft tan to make the room feel warm.”
In context“The designer opted for tan upholstery to complement the dark mahogany wood of the executive desk.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
v.to become brown or make your skin brown by sitting in the sun.
v.to become brown or cause the skin to become brown through exposure to sunlight or UV lamps.
Simple“I tan very easily, but my brother just turns red and gets a sunburn.”
In context“She spent the afternoon lounging by the pool, hoping to tan her legs before the wedding on Saturday.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
v.to turn animal skins into leather using special chemicals.
v.to convert animal hide into leather by treating it with tannic acid or similar chemical agents.
Simple“The factory has been tanning leather for over a hundred years.”
In context“Traditional methods of tanning hides involve soaking them in vats of oak bark extract for several months.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
v.to hit or punish someone, usually a child, by striking them.
v.to thrash or beat someone as a form of corporal punishment.
Simple“His father threatened to tan his hide if he caught him lying again.”
In context“In the old days, teachers might threaten to tan a student's hide for showing such blatant disrespect in the classroom.”
UsageOften used in the phrase 'tan someone's hide'.
- 06 B1 Intermediate
adj.having a light brown or yellowish-brown colour.
adj.of a light yellowish-brown colour; often used to describe clothing or shoes.
Simple“He wore a tan suit to the outdoor garden party.”
In context“The explorer donned a tan safari jacket that blended perfectly with the arid landscape of the savannah.”
Synonyms
From Mandarin 譚／谭 (Tán).
From Hokkien 陳 /陈 (Tân). Doublet of Chen and Tran.
From Mandarin 丹 (Dān), reinforced by Wade-Giles romanization: Tan¹.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.