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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
• 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

See Examples For:

dan Dan Dan.

Cook: Reminiscent of zheng shui dan, microwave-steamed eggs provide a lot of reward for little effort.

From New York Times ● Jan. 23, 2024

Kare kare dan dan noodles started as an experimental special, Miranda says, then stayed by popular demand for the silky sesame-and-peanut sauce, savory braised short rib, and creeping, complex, spicy heat.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 30, 2023

Since we were throwing tradition out the window anyway, we decided to blend the meatiness of Sichuan dan dan mian, or spicy noodles with ground pork, with the simplicity of peanut noodles.

From Washington Times ● May 15, 2023

Sunday, Okatsuka would eat dan dan noodles with her grandma and husband and then savor their fight over the check, before goofing around at the mall and later hosting a show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2023

He was the only one of the Orkney dan who had refused to learn English correctly and spoke in a Northern accent—almost an assumed one.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Dan Kois visited the company’s headquarters to learn the secrets of its success.

From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026

Reprieved lbw to Dan Lawrence he danced down the pitch and was stumped next ball.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026

A California appeals court this week sided with the producers of the controversial “Quiet on Set” docuseries after years of legal strife with subject and ex-Nickelodeon TV producer Dan Schneider.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

A market with 5% investment-grade tax-exempt yields “traditionally does not last,” according to Dan Close, Nuveen’s chief investment officer and the head of the firm’s municipal fixed-income team, who was interviewed by MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026

“Air pressure suddenly rose: my ears popped like coming down fast in a plane,” remembered Dan.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

At a rally in Conroe that year, Trump openly acknowledged the endorsement pipeline, saying Patrick would call him with requests and he would respond, “Absolutely, Dan. Whatever you want, Dan.”

From Salon ● May 29, 2026

"I've always got on well with Cam, Andy, Dan. Those guys have been incredible role models for me and good support. I'm just very lucky to have them, I suppose."

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2023

“We also see what repercussions look like for Dan. We get into his life and see that these things don’t — no matter how much you want them to — go away.”

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 27, 2023

Sports business analyst Andrew Brandt asked rhetorically, “The hits keep coming for Commander Dan. Continues the decades-long question: why has the NFL protected him so much?”

From Washington Times ● Feb. 28, 2023

“Not a lumberjack, a limberjack. A clog doll. A jigger. Dancing Dan. Shuffling Sam. I call him Mendigo. He keeps me company. Come inside and I’ll let you give it a try.”

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull