WAN

¹ American  

[wan] / wæn /

noun

1. wide-area network.

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wan ² American  

[won] / wɒn /

adjective

wanner, wannest

1. of an unnatural or sickly pallor; pallid; lacking color.

   His wan face suddenly flushed.

   Synonyms:

   ashen

   Antonyms:

   ruddy

2. showing or suggesting ill health, fatigue, unhappiness, etc..

   a wan look; a wan smile.

3. lacking in forcefulness, competence, or effectiveness.

   their wan attempts to organize the alumni.

   Synonyms:

   limp, ineffectual, halfhearted, weak, feeble

4. Archaic.

   1. dark or gloomy.

   2. pale in color or hue.

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verb (used with or without object)

wanned, wanning

1. to become or make wan.

wan ³ American  

[wahn] / wɑn /

verb

Obsolete.

1. a simple past tense of win.

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wan ¹ British  

/ wɒn /

adjective

1. unnaturally pale esp from sickness, grief, etc

2. characteristic or suggestive of ill health, unhappiness, etc

3. (of light, stars, etc) faint or dim

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verb

1. to make or become wan

WAN ² British  

abbreviation

1. wide area network

2. Nigeria (international car registration)

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WAN Scientific  

/ wăn /

1. Short for wide area network. A communications network that uses such devices as telephone lines, satellite dishes, or radio waves to span a larger geographic area than can be covered by a LAN. The Internet is a WAN.

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Related Words

See pale ¹.

Other Word Forms

• wanly adverb
• wanness noun

Etymology

Origin of wan

before 900; Middle English; Old English wann dark, gloomy

Example Sentences

Our mother did reappear, looking wan and smiling bravely, and we had to pretend that she was fine.

From The Wall Street Journal

“We watched them install it one night. It’s not like they talk to us or ask us for permission,” he said, a wan smile on his face.

From Los Angeles Times

“Our ultimate dream was to eat our favorite food before we died. One neighbor, I remember, he was craving a French fry — just one,” Ayoub said, a wan smile on his face at the memory.

From Los Angeles Times

Place a serpentine sofa in the middle of a room and you’ll instantly transform it from wan white box to theater-worthy.

From Los Angeles Times

The terrific Beecham is saddled with a dismal hairdo and an even more dismal role, her character simply an object of wan yearning for the drowsy John.

From Los Angeles Times