Han

[ hahn ]

/ hɑn /

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noun

a dynasty in China, 206 b.c.–a.d. 220, with an interregnum, a.d. 9–25: characterized by consolidation of the centralized imperial state and territorial expansion.Compare Earlier Han, Later Han.

a river flowing from central China into the Yangtze at Hankow. 900 miles (1,450 km) long.

the Chinese people in general, especially those not of Mongol, Manchu, Tibetan, or other non-Chinese extraction.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Words nearby Han

Hamsun, Hamtramck, hamulus, ham up, hamza, Han, Hanafi, Hanahan, hanaper, ha-Nasi, Hanau

Other definitions for Han (2 of 2)

Han²

[ hahn, huhn ]

/ hɑn, hʌn /

noun, plural Hans, (especially collectively) Han for 1.

a member of a group of Indigenous people inhabiting the Yukon River drainage basin near the Alaska-Canada border.

the Athabascan language of the Han.

Origin of Han

From Kutchin han-gwičin “river dwellers”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Han in a sentence

What Liu is to China’s economy, Han is to Xi’s plans to firmly bring Hong Kong to heel.
Figuring Out China’s Next Move|Pallabi Munsi|March 29, 2021|Ozy
If China breaks with the One Country, Two Systems model it promised Hong Kong when it regained control of the island in 1997, you’ll know it was Han who rocked the cradle.
Figuring Out China’s Next Move|Pallabi Munsi|March 29, 2021|Ozy
Han was just 48 when he became mayor of Shanghai in 2003 — the youngest person in half a century to hold one of China’s most coveted political posts.
Figuring Out China’s Next Move|Pallabi Munsi|March 29, 2021|Ozy
“This new generation of lawyers coming in is including more voices and more diverse voices, and that just fills me with such hope for how strong we will become in terms of the law and our society,” Han said.
The new top editor of Georgetown’s flagship law journal is ‘undocumented and unafraid’|Ann Marimow|March 18, 2021|Washington Post

Best of all, Han writes, “Plano had the lowest crime rate in Texas.”
Simon Han’s ‘Nights When Nothing Happened’ is a poignant study of the immigrant experience|Ron Charles|November 30, 2020|Washington Post
Aaron Paul may play a young Han Solo in the first Star Wars spin-off.
Juiciest ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Rumors (and Some Debunked Ones)|Rich Goldstein|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But the true forgery—like the work of Han van Meegeren, the Dutch World War 2-era forger of Vermeer—is actually very rare.
Are Over Half the Works on the Art Market Really Fakes?|Tom Sykes|October 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And Pratt is at once macho, charming, and droll; a Han Solo for the Facebook generation.
The Next Han Solo: Chris Pratt on His Star-Making Turn in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’|Marlow Stern|July 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And Ford delivers another impressive performance as the hard-ass, take-no-prisoners colonel; like a hardened, grizzled Han Solo.
Harrison Ford Discusses ‘Ender’s Game,’ Drone Warfare, Vietnam, and Playing A Badass President|Marlow Stern|October 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Consider the work of Han van Meegeren, one of the foremost forgers of the 1930s and '40s.
The Big Idea: Why Forgeries Are Great Art|Jonathon Keats|April 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He's very tall an' gran', an' w'ars fine close, an' han's is white as a cotton bat, but his eyes doan set right in his head.
The Cromptons|Mary J. Holmes
MS. han ye me, correctly; Percy omits me, and so spoils both sense and metre.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer
Cf. 'what eek yif my mutabilitee yiveth thee rightful cause of hope to han yit beter thinges?'
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer
In early life Han-Sin suffered great poverty, and for some time was befriended by a poor woman who bleached flax.
Chinese Poems|Various
Den you follow yo' lef' han' en strike 'cross de hill twel you come ter dat big red oak root—but de grapes aint dar.
Nights With Uncle Remus|Joel Chandler Harris

British Dictionary definitions for Han (1 of 2)

Han¹

/ (hæn) /

noun

a river in E central China, rising in S Shaanxi and flowing southeast through Hubei to the Yangtze River at Wuhan. Length: about 1450 km (900 miles)

British Dictionary definitions for Han (2 of 2)

Han²

/ (hæn) /

noun

the imperial dynasty that ruled China for most of the time from 206 bc to 221 ad, expanding its territory and developing its bureaucracy

the Chinese people as contrasted to Mongols, Manchus, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012