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Showing results for "tanning"
  • present participle of tan.
Search instead for tannings.
Synonyms

tanning

American  
[tan-ing] / ˈtæn ɪŋ /

noun

  1. the process or art of converting hides or skins into leather.

  2. a browning or darkening of the skin, as by exposure to the sun.

  3. Informal. a thrashing; whipping.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of tanning

First recorded in 1475–85; tan 1, + -ing 1

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.

See Examples For:

Who needs umbrellas when you’ve got a tanning bed, a chin-up bar, beef-tallow stockpiles, and a gallon of only-sometimes-poisonous raw milk?

From Slate Jul. 22, 2026

WSJ | Buy Side: Get a summertime glow, no matter the season, with these expert-recommended tanning mousses, sprays and drops.

From The Wall Street Journal May 30, 2026

They also proposed displaying cigarette-style images at sunbed shops and tanning salons to dissuade people from using them.

From BBC May 13, 2026

He did, however, quickly stop using MT-II, the tanning peptide that years ago was dubbed the “Barbie peptide.”

From The Wall Street Journal May 11, 2026

"I gave her a tan by pouring on my mom's instant tanning lotion. It made her turn orange. I dyed her hair blond with my mom's hair dye. It made her hair break!"

From "Sleepover Sleuths: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #1" by Carolyn Keene

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