tan
verb (used with object)
to convert (a hide) into leather, especially by soaking or steeping in a bath prepared from tanbark or synthetically.
tanned
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past participleof tan.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof tan.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
tanverb (used with object)to convert (a hide) into leather, especially by soaking or steeping in a bath prepared from tanbark or synthetically.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ulrich Siegmund, tanned and smiling, chatted enthusiastically with the crowd, at one point kneeling to speak with a child in a wheelchair.
From The Wall Street Journal β Sep. 3, 2026
To the looksmaxxers, these peptides aren’t about health; they’re for shedding fat, building muscle, clearing up skin, and even getting tanned.
From Slate β Jul. 29, 2026
The victim described the attacker to police as "white, olive skinned and tanned", a "muscular build" and "a shiny, hairless chest", Price said.
From BBC β Mar. 4, 2026
Within minutes of the announcement, memories of the elegant and tanned designer began to flood social media.
From Barron's β Jan. 19, 2026
I think that already he foresaw his livelihood being wrested from him, for he salted and tanned his own skins, making them into chaplis for those in the village who wore them.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
