tanist

[ tan-ist, thaw-nist ]

/ ˈtæn ɪst, ˈθɔ nɪst /

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noun History/Historical.

the successor apparent to a Celtic chief, usually the oldest or worthiest of his kin, chosen by election among the tribe during the chief's lifetime.

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Origin of tanist

First recorded in 1530–40, tanist is from the Irish word tánaiste second, substitute, heir by election

Words nearby tanist

Tanguy, tangy, tanh, Tanimbar Islands, Tanis, tanist, tanistry, taniwha, Tanizaki, Tanizaki Jun-ichiro, Tanjore

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

How to use tanist in a sentence

This story must have been an after-thought, to account for what we may suppose to have been a prehistoric Tanist stone.
Roman Mosaics|Hugh Macmillan
Ultramon′tanism, ultramontane or extreme views as to the Pope's rights; Ultramon′tanist, one who holds to ultramontanism.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements)|Various
The "tanist" stood next to the chief, and was his successor.
The Poem-Book of the Gael|Various
To avert strife his tanist, or successor, was elected in his lifetime.
Irish History and the Irish Question|Goldwin Smith

Very often the sons refused to accept the tanist, and bloody quarrels followed.
Ireland under the Tudors, Volume I (of II)|Richard Bagwell

British Dictionary definitions for tanist

tanist

/ (ˈtænɪst) /

noun

history the heir apparent of a Celtic chieftain chosen by election during the chief's lifetime: usually the worthiest of his kin

Derived forms of tanist

tanistry, noun

Word Origin for tanist

C16: from Irish Gaelic tánaiste, literally: the second person

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