Advertisement
Advertisement
an
1[ uhn; when stressed an ]
indefinite article
- the form of a before an initial vowel sound ( an arch; an honor ) and sometimes, especially in British English, before an initial unstressed syllable beginning with a silent or weakly pronounced h :
an historian.
an-
2- a prefix occurring before stems beginning with a vowel or h in loanwords from Greek, where it means “not,” “without,” “lacking” ( anarchy; anecdote ); used in the formation of compound words:
anelectric.
an-
4- variant of ad- before n: announce.
an-
5- variant of ana- before a vowel:
anion.
An
6[ ahn ]
noun
- the Sumerian god of heaven: the counterpart of the Akkadian Anu.
An
7- actinon.
AN
8abbreviation for
-an
9- a suffix occurring originally in adjectives borrowed from Latin, formed from nouns denoting places ( Roman; urban ) or persons ( Augustan ), and now productively forming English adjectives by extension of the Latin pattern. Attached to geographic names, it denotes provenance or membership ( American; Chicagoan; Tibetan ), the latter sense now extended to membership in social classes, religious denominations, etc., in adjectives formed from various kinds of noun bases ( Episcopalian; pedestrian; Puritan; Republican ) and membership in zoological taxa ( acanthocephalan; crustacean ). Attached to personal names, it has the additional senses “contemporary with” ( Elizabethan; Jacobean ) or “proponent of ” ( Hegelian; Freudian ) the person specified by the noun base. The suffix -an, and its variant -ian also occurs in a set of personal nouns, mainly loanwords from French, denoting one who engages in, practices, or works with the referent of the base noun ( comedian; grammarian; historian; theologian ); this usage is especially productive with nouns ending in -ic ( electrician; logician; technician ). See -ian for relative distribution with that suffix.
an.
10abbreviation for
- in the year.
A.N.
11abbreviation for
- Anglo-Norman.
- Associate in Nursing.
an
1/ æn; ən /
determiner
- a form of the indefinite article used before an initial vowel sound
an old car
an elf
an honour
an
2the internet domain name for
- Netherlands Antilles
An
4/ ɑːn /
noun
- myth the Sumerian sky god Babylonian counterpartAnu
an-
5prefix
- not; without
anaphrodisiac
AN
6abbreviation for
- Anglo-Norman
An
7the chemical symbol for
- actinon
-an
8suffix
- forming adjectives and nouns belonging to or relating to; a person belonging to or coming from
European
- forming adjectives and nouns typical of or resembling; a person typical of
Elizabethan
- forming adjectives and nouns adhering to or following; an adherent of
Christian
- forming nouns a person who specializes or is expert in
dietitian
phonetician
Discover More
Usage
Discover More
Grammar Note
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Origin of an4
Origin of an5
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Origin of an1
Origin of an2
Origin of an3
Discover More
Example Sentences
My younger, straighter-than-an-arrow son was stopped and arrested in two separate jurisdictions a few years ago.
A half-an-hour earlier they had been caught in the middle of a mortar barrage in a skirmish with separatists.
The full translation follows: In the region of Torez, a AN-26 was just shot down, crashing behind the “progress” mine.
In those accounts, neither Buzzelli nor the eager-for-an-angle reporters dubbed the man a World Trade Center “surfer.”
Or is he just a straight-as-an-arrow Eagle Scout, far more Clark Kent than Superman?
They had searched Mortlake House for Alice, and that vain quest had not wasted more than half-an-hour.
On the first day's journey toward Chang-an-sa the party made good progress.
Passing through the gate, our friends found themselves at once in the midst of the Chang-an-sa monastery buildings.
It was the merest baby—half-an-ounce, perhaps—and it fell from the hook into the herbage some yards from the stream.
In half-an-hour he was sound asleep, and a dead silence reigned in Azalea Lodge.
Advertisement
Word of the Day
[tawr-choo-uhs ]
Meaning and examplesStart each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!
By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse