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Vaughan

American  
[vawn] / vɔn /

noun

  1. Henry, 1622–95, English poet and mystic.

  2. Sarah (Lois), 1924–90, U.S. jazz singer.

  3. a town in SW Ontario, in S Canada, near Toronto.

  4. a male given name: from a Welsh word meaning “small.”


Vaughan British  
/ vɔːn /

noun

  1. Henry. 1622–95, Welsh mystic poet, best known for his Silex Scintillans (1650; 1655)

  2. Dame Janet ( Maria ). 1899–1993, British physician and university official: helped set up Britain's first National Blood Transfusion Service (1939): after World War II, became Britain's expert on the effects of radiation on humans; Principal of Somerville College, Oxford (1945–67)

  3. Sarah ( Lois ). 1924–90, US jazz vocalist and pianist, noted esp for her skill in vocal improvisation

"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

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:

Chief Constable James Vaughan said Devon and Cornwall Police had "mounted an extraordinary response to a horrific murder of a very prominent public figure" and shown "British policing at its very best".

From BBC Jul. 12, 2026

She can sound like Vaughan; she does for one passage here on “Ever Since the One I Love’s Been Gone,” yet then immediately breaks free, toying wildly with the pitch of the very next note.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 11, 2026

Though she’s no conventional jazz singer, it’s no surprise she felt compelled to sing ballads with orchestration, a time-honored formula for so many great jazz vocalists, including her earliest musical obsession, Sarah Vaughan.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 11, 2026

Vaughan said there is a "lack of trust" on both sides between Stokes and the ECB following the nightclub incident earlier this month.

From BBC Jun. 29, 2026

Dorothy Vaughan had had a positive impact on her career and on the phenomenon-in-waiting that was Katherine Johnson.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

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