San

¹ American  

[sahn] / sɑn /

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.

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San ² American  

[sahn] / sɑn /

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.

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-san ³ American  

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

   Suzuki-san; samurai-san.

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San ¹ British  

/ sɑːn /

noun

1. an aboriginal people of southern Africa

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

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San ² British  

/ 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)

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san ³ British  

/ sæn /

noun

1. old-fashioned short for sanatorium

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Etymology

Origin of -san

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

Example Sentences

Scores of bare-chested flagellants with covered faces walked barefoot through the dusty streets of Pampanga province's San Fernando as they flogged their backs with bamboo whips in scorching heat.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

In December 2025, a large power outage in San Francisco led Waymo taxis to stop working around the city, causing huge traffic jams.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

Three of the top five school districts with the highest proportion of homeless students are in the San Gabriel Valley.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The exhibition reassembles part of a 1978 group show in San Francisco of tributes to her.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The shuttle from Santa Fe to the launch site in the San Juan National Forest near Durango takes less than two hours.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera