dean

¹

[deen]

noun

1. Education.

   1. the head of a faculty, school, or administrative division in a university or college.

      the dean of admissions.

   2. an official in an American college or secondary school having charge of student personnel services, such as counseling or discipline.

      the dean of men.

   3. the official in charge of undergraduate students at an English university.

2. Ecclesiastical.

   1. the head of the chapter of a cathedral or a collegiate church.

   2. Also called vicar forane. a priest in the Roman Catholic Church appointed by a bishop to take care of the affairs of a division of a diocese.

3. the senior member, in length of service, of any group, organization, profession, etc..

   the dean of lexicographers.

Dean

²

[deen]

noun

1. James (Byron), 1931–55, U.S. actor.

2. Jay Hanna Dizzy, 1911–74, U.S. baseball pitcher.

3. a male given name: from the Old English family name meaning “valley.”

dean

¹

/ diːn /

noun

1. the chief administrative official of a college or university faculty

2. (at Oxford and Cambridge universities) a college fellow with responsibility for undergraduate discipline

3. Church of England the head of a chapter of canons and administrator of a cathedral or collegiate church

4. RC Church the cardinal bishop senior by consecration and head of the college of cardinals See also rural dean

Dean

²

/ diːn /

noun

1. Christopher. See Torvill and Dean

2. James ( Byron ). 1931–55, US film actor, who became a cult figure; his films include East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause (both 1955). He died in a car crash

Dean

³

/ diːn /

noun

1. a forest in W England, in Gloucestershire, between the Rivers Severn and Wye: formerly a royal hunting ground

Other Word Forms

• deanship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dean¹

1300–50; Middle English deen < Anglo-French deen, dean, Old French deien < Late Latin decānus chief of ten, equivalent to Latin dec ( em ) ten + -ānus -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of dean¹

C14: from Old French deien, from Late Latin decānus one set over ten persons, from Latin decem ten

Example Sentences

The dean of the arts and humanities division, Deborah Nelson, commissioned groups to study the future of graduate programs and languages, divisional organization and undergraduate teaching.

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"Because these young immune cells are created from stem cells, they could be used as personalized therapy with unlimited availability," said Jeffrey A. Golden, MD, executive vice dean for Education and Research.

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Parents often joke about returning to college, too, a dean noted.

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“Visa uncertainty is a challenge,” said Shari Hubert, Fuqua’s associate dean for admissions, who added the school saw more applicants from a diverse set of industries who were seeking cross-sector opportunities and leadership preparation.

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People schooled in the RSS’s thinking have risen to become members of parliament, state leaders, university deans and judges, and sit on government bodies.

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Related Words

• administrator 
• legislator 
• principal 
• professor 
• senior