Tan has 18 different meanings across 5 categories:
Noun · Verb · Adjective · Num · Proper Noun
A yellowish-brown colour.
"The laboratory report indicated that the tan value of the used crankcase oil had risen significantly due to fuel dilution and contamination."
An Armenian drink made of yoghurt and water similar to airan and doogh
Synonym of picul, particularly in Cantonese contexts.
A twig or small switch.
Initialism of total acid number, the measure of a lubricant's or crude oil's acidity.
In plain English: A tan is brown skin that happens when your body makes more pigment after being exposed to sunlight.
"She put on sunscreen to protect her tan from burning in the sun."
Usage: Use "tan" as a noun primarily when referring to an Armenian yoghurt drink or the unit of weight known as a picul in Cantonese trade. Avoid using it for skin coloration changes, which should always be described with the verb form rather than this specific noun definition.
treat skins and hides with tannic acid so as to convert them into leather
"The factory workers spent all day tan cowhides using a special vat of tannic acid to produce high-quality leather."
To change to a tan colour due to exposure to the sun.
"After spending an hour at the beach, her arms turned a deep golden tan."
In plain English: To tan means to get your skin darker by spending time outside under sunlight.
"After spending all afternoon in the park, I finally got enough sun to tan my skin this summer."
of a light yellowish-brown color
"The cat stretched out in the sun, turning its fur a warm tan color."
Of a yellowish-brown.
"The sunset cast a warm, tan glow over the sandy beach."
The second cardinal number two, formerly used in Celtic areas, especially Cumbria and parts of Yorkshire, for counting sheep, and stitches in knitting.
"The farmer counted exactly tan lambs as they wandered through the field."
A Chinese surname, from Mandarin.
"Tan runs his family business in Hanoi."
A Chinese surname, from Hokkien.
Alternative form of Dan
A Vietnamese surname, from Vietnamese.
The word "tan" comes from Middle English and Old French, originally referring to tanbark. Its roots trace back through Gaulish and Proto-Celtic to a term meaning "green oak."