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• dan
  dan

  noun

  a degree of expertise in karate, judo, tae kwon do, etc., usually signified by the wearing of a cloth belt of a particular color; level.
• Dan
  Dan

  noun
• Dan.
  Dan.

  abbreviation

  Daniel.

dan

¹ American  

[dahn, dan] / dɑn, dæn /

noun

Martial Arts.

1. a degree of expertise in karate, judo, tae kwon do, etc., usually signified by the wearing of a cloth belt of a particular color; level.

   a sixth-degree dan.

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Dan ² American  

[dan] / dæn /

noun

1. 1. (in the Bible) a son of Jacob and Bilhah.

   2. one of the 12 tribes of ancient Israel, traditionally descended from him.

2. the northernmost city of ancient Palestine.

3. a male given name, form of Daniel.

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idioms

1. from Dan to Beersheba, from one outermost extreme or limit to the other.

Dan ³ American  

[dan] / dæn /

noun

Archaic.

1. a title of honor equivalent to master or sir:

   Dan Chaucer.

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Dan. ⁴ American  

abbreviation

1. Bible. Daniel.

2. Danish. Also Dan

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Dan ¹ British  

/ dæn /

noun

1. 1. the fourth son of Jacob (Genesis 30:1–6)

   2. the tribe descended from him

2. a city in the northern territory of Canaan

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Dan. ² British  

abbreviation

1. Bible Daniel

2. Danish

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dan ³ British  

/ dæn /

noun

1. any one of the 10 black-belt grades of proficiency

2. a competitor entitled to dan grading

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Dan ⁴ British  

/ dæn /

noun

1. an archaic title of honour, equivalent to Master or Sir

   Dan Chaucer

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dan ⁵ British  

/ dæn /

noun

1. Also called: dan buoy.  a small buoy used as a marker at sea

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Etymology

Origin of dan¹

First recorded in 1940–45; from Japanese, from Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese duàn “step, grade”

Origin of Dan³

1275–1325; Middle English < Old French danz < Medieval Latin domnus, contraction of Latin dominus “lord, master”

Example Sentences

"That is - so far," Pushilin, who along with Russian forces controls Mariupol, was quoted as saying by the Donetsk News Agency, known as DAN.

From Reuters • May 18, 2022

DAN McCARTHY HAD just become the resident of a stately Victorian schoolhouse at the foot of the Catskill Mountains when he realized that a building, like a person, lives multiple lives.

From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2022

DAN CHENEY’S MOTHER, Rae Cheney, contributed to PeaceTrees over the years with thousands of personal thank-you notes written in beautiful cursive to supporters and donors.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 10, 2021

DAN CHARNAS: This jeopardizes all of Time Warner’s upcoming business in getting cable franchises all over the country.

From Slate • Feb. 14, 2020

DAN: There's a funny twitching in your neck when you talk—very slight, of course—nerves, I expect—But I hope your doctor knows all about it … D'you mind if I ask what your ailments are?

From Night Must Fall : a Play in Three Acts by Williams, Emlyn