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yuan

[ yoo-ahn; Chinese yyahn ]
/ yuˈɑn; Chinese yüɑn /

noun, plural yu·an.

Also called yuan dollar . a copper coin of the Republic of China, equal to 100 cents; dollar.
a paper money, brass or cupronickel coin, and monetary unit of the People's Republic of China, equal to 10 jiao or 100 fen.

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Origin of yuan

1915–20; <Chinese yuán literally, round, circular; cf. yen1

Words nearby yuan

yttrium, yttrium metal, yttrium oxide, yttrotantalite, Yü, yuan, Yuandan, Yüan Shih-kai, Yuan Shi Kai, Yuba City, yuca

Definition for yuan (2 of 3)

Yuan
[ yoo-ahn; Chinese yyahn ]
/ yuˈɑn; Chinese yüɑn /

noun (sometimes lowercase)

(in the Republic of China) a department of government; council.

Definition for yuan (3 of 3)

Yüan
[ yoo-ahn; Chinese yyahn ]
/ yuˈɑn; Chinese yüɑn /

noun

the Mongol dynasty in China, 1260–1368, founded by Kublai Khan.
Yuan.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for yuan

British Dictionary definitions for yuan (1 of 3)

yuan
/ (ˈjuːˈæn) /

noun plural -an

the standard monetary unit of China, divided into 10 jiao and 100 fenAlso called: renminbi, renminbi yuan

Word Origin for yuan

from Chinese yüan round object; see yen 1

British Dictionary definitions for yuan (2 of 3)

Yüan1
/ (ˈjuːˈæn) /

noun

the imperial dynasty of China from 1279 to 1368

adjective

of or relating to the Chinese porcelain produced during the Yüan dynasty, characterized by the appearance of under-glaze blue-and-white ware

British Dictionary definitions for yuan (3 of 3)

Yüan2

Yen (ˈjuːˈɛn)

/ (ˈjuːˈæn) /

noun

a river in SE central China, rising in central Guizhou province and flowing northeast to Lake Tungting. Length: about 800 km (500 miles)
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