San

¹

[sahn]

noun

plural

Sans ,

plural

San .

1. a member of a nomadic aboriginal people of southern Africa.

2. any of more than a dozen related Khoisan languages spoken by the San.

San

²

[sahn]

noun

1. a river in central Europe, flowing from the Carpathian Mountains in W Ukraine through SE Poland into the Vistula: battles 1914–15. About 280 miles (450 km) long.

-san

³

1. a suffix used in Japanese as a term of respect after names or titles.

   Suzuki-san; samurai-san.

San

¹

/ sɑːn /

noun

1. an aboriginal people of southern Africa

2. a group of the Khoisan languages, spoken mostly by Bushmen

San

²

/ sɑːn /

noun

1. a river in E central Europe, rising in W Ukraine and flowing northwest across SE Poland to the Vistula River. Length: about 450 km (280 miles)

san

³

/ sæn /

noun

1. old-fashioned,  short for sanatorium

Word History and Origins

Origin of San¹

< Japanese, contraction of -sama suffix denoting direction, appearance, respect

Example Sentences

As he sat taking it all in from his dining room table overlooking the San Gabriel Mountains, the artist said, “The house is super efficient now. This is a magical space.”

From Los Angeles Times

East End afforded stunning views of the ocean and San Clemente Island to the south.

From Los Angeles Times

My overnighter came to a close and I thought of moments during both days when I was by stunned by the beauty that surrounded me — I was even able to see snowcapped San Gorgonio back on the mainland.

From Los Angeles Times

Among those who criticized the decision, which was reversed by South Carolina’s Supreme Court, was Harmeet Dhillon, the San Francisco attorney who now heads the Justice Department’s beleaguered Civil Rights Division.

From Los Angeles Times

Salvatore Nania has not set foot in his hometown of San Pedro since 1995, when he was arrested at 17 for murder.

From Los Angeles Times