name
Meaning 1
A title afforded to a dean.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
dean
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/diːn/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -iːn
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homophone: dean
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[diːn]
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[dĩːn]
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dēn
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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homophone: deen
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homophone: dene
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homophone: 'dine
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homophone: Dean
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CMU ARPABET: D IY1 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
name
Meaning 2
A surname
A habitational surname from Middle English from Middle English dene “valley”.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 3
A surname
A surname from Irish
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 4
A surname
A surname from Scottish
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 5
A surname
A surname originating as an occupation
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 6
A surname
A surname transferred from the given name
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 7
A male given name
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 8
A male given name
A male given name transferred from the surname
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 9
A male given name
A male given name originating as an occupation derived from the title.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 10
A placename:
A place in the United Kingdom:
Any of various villages and hamlets in England:
A village and civil parish in Cumberland, Cumbria, previously in Allerdale borough (OS grid ref NY0725).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 11
A placename:
A place in the United Kingdom:
Any of various villages and hamlets in England:
A hamlet in Lynton and Lynmouth parish, North Devon district, Devon (OS grid ref SS7048).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 12
A placename:
A place in the United Kingdom:
Any of various villages and hamlets in England:
A hamlet in Trentishoe parish, North Devon district, Devon (OS grid ref SS6245).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 13
A placename:
A place in the United Kingdom:
Any of various villages and hamlets in England:
A hamlet in West Down parish, North Devon district, Devon (OS grid ref SS5042).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 14
A placename:
A place in the United Kingdom:
Any of various villages and hamlets in England:
A hamlet in Sixpenny Handley and Pentridge parish, east Dorset (OS grid ref ST9715).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 15
A placename:
A place in the United Kingdom:
Any of various villages and hamlets in England:
A hamlet in Bishop's Waltham parish, Winchester district, Hampshire (OS grid ref SU5619).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 16
A placename:
A place in the United Kingdom:
Any of various villages and hamlets in England:
A hamlet in Sparsholt parish, Winchester district, Hampshire (OS grid ref SU4431).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 17
A placename:
A place in the United Kingdom:
Any of various villages and hamlets in England:
A locality between Water and Weir, Rossendale borough, Lancashire (OS grid ref SD8525).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 18
A placename:
A place in the United Kingdom:
Any of various villages and hamlets in England:
A hamlet in Spelsbury parish, West Oxfordshire district, Oxfordshire (OS grid ref SP3422).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 19
A placename:
A place in the United Kingdom:
Any of various villages and hamlets in England:
A hamlet in Cranmore parish, Mendip district, Somerset (OS grid ref ST6744).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 20
A placename:
A place in the United Kingdom:
Ellipsis of Dean Village: A neighbourhood, a former village in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 21
A placename:
A small township in the Shire of Hepburn, central Victoria, Australia.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 22
A placename:
A small community in the Musquodoboit Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 23
A placename:
A number of places in the United States:
An unincorporated community in Monterey County, California.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 24
A placename:
A number of places in the United States:
An unincorporated community in Appanoose County, Iowa.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 25
A placename:
A number of places in the United States:
A ghost town in Lander County, Nevada.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 26
A placename:
A number of places in the United States:
A township and village therein, in Cambria County, Pennsylvania.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Meaning 27
A placename:
A number of places in the United States:
A minor city in Clay County, Texas.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 28
A senior official in a college or university, who may be in charge of a division or faculty (for example, the dean of science) or have some other advisory or disciplinary function (for example, the dean of students).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 29
A dignitary or presiding officer in certain church bodies, especially an ecclesiastical dignitary, subordinate to a bishop, in charge of a chapter of canons.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 30
The senior member of some group of people.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- dean of the diplomatic corps - a country's most senior ambassador
- dean of the House - the longest-serving member of a legislature
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 31
A hill.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: Sussex
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 32
Alternative form of dene.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Northumbria, alt-of, alternative
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 33
To serve as a dean.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 34
To send (a student) to see the dean of a college or university.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: informal, transitive
Qualifier: otherwise rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 35
an administrator in charge of a division of a university or college
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: academic administrator
noun
Meaning 36
(Roman Catholic Church) the head of the College of Cardinals
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cardinal
noun
Meaning 37
a man who is the senior member of a group
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- he is the dean of foreign correspondents
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: doyen
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: elder, senior
noun
Meaning 38
United States film actor whose moody rebellious roles made him a cult figure (1931-1955)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: James Dean, James Byron Dean
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: actor, histrion, player, thespian, role player
History
Etymology
The surname or given name is of multiple origins, depending on context: * As an English surname, from Middle English dene (“valley”). * Also as an English surname, from the noun dean. Cognate to Deacon. * Also as an English surname, from the personal name Deyne, a rhyming form of Reynald (see Reginald). * As an Irish surname, variant of Deane. * As a Scottish surname, from Dean Castle in Kilmarnock, itself from the noun meaning valley. * Old English Dene (“Dane, Norseman”) * Hebrew דין (“law, judgment”) and Arabic دين (“way of life, creed”)
From Middle English den, deen (“dean”), from Anglo-Norman deen and continental Old French deien (modern French doyen), from Latin decānus. Doublet of doyen.
Related to den.
Across languages
Translations
86 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Armenian: դեկան (dekan) — senior official in college or university
- Asturian: decanu — senior official in college or university
- Azerbaijani: dekan — senior official in college or university
- Bulgarian: дѐкан (dèkan) — senior official in college or university
- Bulgarian: дека́н (dekán) — senior official in college or university
- Catalan: degà — senior official in college or university
- Chinese Mandarin: 院長 /院长 (yuànzhǎng) — senior official in college or university
- Czech: děkan — senior official in college or university
- Danish: dekan — senior official in college or university
- Dutch: decaan — senior official in college or university
- Dutch: deken — senior official in college or university
- Esperanto: dekano — senior official in college or university
- Finnish: dekaani — senior official in college or university
- French: doyen — senior official in college or university
- Georgian: დეკანი (deḳani) — senior official in college or university
- German: Dekan — senior official in college or university
- Greek: κοσμήτορας (kosmítoras) — senior official in college or university
- Ancient Greek: κοσμήτωρ (kosmḗtōr) — senior official in college or university
- Hindi: संकायाध्यक्ष (saṅkāyādhyakṣ) — senior official in college or university
- Hungarian: dékán — senior official in college or university
- Indonesian: dekan — senior official in college or university
- Italian: decano — senior official in college or university
- Italian: preside — senior official in college or university
- Kashubian: dzekón — senior official in college or university
- Khmer: ព្រឹទ្ធបុរស (prœ̆tthôbŏrsâ) — senior official in college or university
- Macedonian: декан (dekan) — senior official in college or university
- Norman: douoyen — senior official in college or university
- Polish: dziekan — senior official in college or university
- Polish: dziekanka — senior official in college or university
- Portuguese: reitor — senior official in college or university
- Romanian: decan — senior official in college or university
- Russian: дека́н (dekán) — senior official in college or university
- Slovene: dekan — senior official in college or university
- Spanish: decano — senior official in college or university
- Swahili: mudiri — senior official in college or university
- Swedish: dekan — senior official in college or university
- Swedish: dekanus — senior official in college or university
- Tagalog: dalubpuno — senior official in college or university
- Tagalog: dekano — senior official in college or university
- Tetum: dekanu — senior official in college or university
- Thai: คณบดี (ká-ná-bɔɔ-dii) — senior official in college or university
- Turkish: dekan — senior official in college or university
- Bulgarian: главен свещеник (glaven sveštenik) — church dignitary
- Catalan: degà — church dignitary
- Danish: domprovst — church dignitary
- Dutch: deken — church dignitary
- Esperanto: dekano — church dignitary
- Finnish: dekaani — church dignitary
- Finnish: rovasti — church dignitary
- Friulian: dean — church dignitary
- German: Dechant — church dignitary
- German: Dekan — church dignitary
- Hungarian: esperes — church dignitary
- Hungarian: főesperes — church dignitary
- Italian: decano — church dignitary
- Middle English: den — church dignitary
- Norwegian Bokmål: prost — church dignitary
- Norwegian Nynorsk: prost — church dignitary
- Occitan: degan — church dignitary
- Polish: dziekan — church dignitary
- Polish: dziekanka — church dignitary
- Portuguese: deão — church dignitary
- Portuguese: decano — church dignitary
- Romanian: decan — church dignitary
- Russian: благочи́нный (blagočínnyj) — church dignitary
- Spanish: deán — church dignitary
- Ukrainian: дека́н (dekán) — church dignitary
- Venetan: degàn — church dignitary
- Catalan: degà — senior member of a group
- Dutch: deken — senior member of a group
- Esperanto: dojeno — senior member of a group
- Finnish: pää — senior member of a group
- Finnish: vanhin — senior member of a group
- French: doyen — senior member of a group
- French: doyenne — senior member of a group
- Hungarian: rangidős — senior member of a group
- Hungarian: doyen — senior member of a group
- Italian: decano — senior member of a group
- Middle English: den — senior member of a group
- Norman: douoyen — senior member of a group
- Polish: dziekan — senior member of a group
- Polish: dziekanka — senior member of a group
- Swedish: doyen — senior member of a group
- Swedish: ålderspresident — senior member of a group
- Swedish: äldst till tjänsteåren — senior member of a group
- Thai: คณบดี (ká-ná-bɔɔ-dii) — senior member of a group