# tan

/ˈtæn/ (US) · /tˈæn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/tan
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. darkened skin

noun · CEFR B1

the brown colour your skin gets after you spend time in the sun.

For teachers: the darkening of the skin caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

- She came back from her summer holiday with a deep tan.
- Despite using high-factor sunscreen, he developed a noticeable tan after spending a week sailing in the Mediterranean.

### 2. the colour

noun · CEFR B1

a light yellowish-brown colour.

For teachers: a light brown or brownish-yellow colour, often associated with leather or sand.

- The walls were painted a soft tan to make the room feel warm.
- The designer opted for tan upholstery to complement the dark mahogany wood of the executive desk.

### 3. to get darker skin

verb · CEFR B1

to become brown or make your skin brown by sitting in the sun.

For teachers: to become brown or cause the skin to become brown through exposure to sunlight or UV lamps.

- I tan very easily, but my brother just turns red and gets a sunburn.
- She spent the afternoon lounging by the pool, hoping to tan her legs before the wedding on Saturday.

### 4. to make leather

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to turn animal skins into leather using special chemicals.

For teachers: to convert animal hide into leather by treating it with tannic acid or similar chemical agents.

- The factory has been tanning leather for over a hundred years.
- Traditional methods of tanning hides involve soaking them in vats of oak bark extract for several months.

### 5. to hit someone

verb · CEFR C2 · Informal · British English

to hit or punish someone, usually a child, by striking them.

For teachers: to thrash or beat someone as a form of corporal punishment.

- His father threatened to tan his hide if he caught him lying again.
- In the old days, teachers might threaten to tan a student's hide for showing such blatant disrespect in the classroom.

Usage: Often used in the phrase 'tan someone's hide'.

### 6. brownish-yellow

adjective · CEFR B1

having a light brown or yellowish-brown colour.

For teachers: of a light yellowish-brown colour; often used to describe clothing or shoes.

- He wore a tan suit to the outdoor garden party.
- The explorer donned a tan safari jacket that blended perfectly with the arid landscape of the savannah.

## Examples

- She has a beautiful tan after her beach holiday.
- After spending the entire summer working outdoors, his skin had developed a deep, dark tan.
- The leather was dyed a soft shade of tan to match the interior of the vintage car, providing a warm contrast to the dark wood dashboard.

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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.