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• San
  San

  noun

  a member of a nomadic aboriginal people of southern Africa.
• -san
  -san

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

  noun

  short for sanatorium

San

¹ American  

[sahn] / sɑn /

noun

• Sans,
  plural
• San
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• San
  plural
• Sans
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of -san

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

San san Sans

The are no biomass plants left in the southern San Joaquin Valley, he says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

Elam, a retired software developer, is moving between two properties in San Diego County, both located in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, according to the state’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone map.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

In town - Como's population is just over 83,000, which means 90% of them could fit in the San Siro Stadium - there is a plush new club shop, selling all kinds of branded merchandise.

From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026

Seth Solorio of San Pedro has 23 touchdown passes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

They would be friends if Harriet lived in San Francisco, Cat was sure of it.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

Alcoa san k 7% after the aluminum producer’s first-quarter earnings and revenue fell short of analysts’ expectations.

From Barron's ● Apr. 17, 2026

Miyazaki san responded, “I am making this movie because I do not have the answer.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2023

The pair, Sean Turnell, a former adviser to deposed Myanmar leader Aung san Suu Kyi and Vicky Bowman, were headed to Bangkok on an evening flight, the source said.

From Reuters ● Nov. 17, 2022

But because sake bombs require an audience, your friends are encouraged to chant, “Ichi … ni … san … sake bomb!” assuring that everyone in the restaurant will know to turn around and watch you.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 29, 2021

Instead, she kept her eye out for the san Francisco international airport sign.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

“I used Comic Sans for the first time in my 35-year career for the rest of the type. I felt that was some sort of weird pinnacle in itself,” Kennedy explains over email.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2026

Davide Musardo, who volunteered with Medecins Sans Frontieres, has written of trying to provide therapy against the background of drones and explosions.

From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2025

BBC London previously interviewed Prof Ghassan Abu-Sittah, from Médecins Sans Frontières, who has been helping to treat people wounded in the war, at the Al Ahli Arab Hospital.

From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2023

Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said its clinic in Gaza City also came under fire on Monday.

From Reuters ● Nov. 20, 2023

He had a few dollars in his pocket from the last job and he had an uncle in San Francisco or one of the other California Sans.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt

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