Dean

//diːn// name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A title afforded to a dean. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    A surname; A habitational surname from Middle English from Middle English dene “valley”. countable, uncountable
  3. 3
    A surname; A surname from Irish countable, uncountable
  4. 4
    A surname; A surname from Scottish countable, uncountable
  5. 5
    A surname; A surname originating as an occupation countable, uncountable
Show 22 more definitions
  1. 6
    A surname; A surname transferred from the given name countable, uncountable
  2. 7
    A male given name countable

    "On the normier part of the spectrum are liberal influencers like Dean Withers and Harry Sisson, who have transferred the “debate me, bro” spirit of early YouTube to TikTok Live."

  3. 8
    A male given name; A male given name transferred from the surname countable, uncountable
  4. 9
    A male given name; A male given name originating as an occupation derived from the title. countable, uncountable
  5. 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). countable, uncountable
  6. 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). countable, uncountable
  7. 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). countable, uncountable
  8. 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). countable, uncountable
  9. 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). countable, uncountable
  10. 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). countable, uncountable
  11. 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). countable, uncountable
  12. 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). countable, uncountable
  13. 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). countable, uncountable
  14. 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). countable, uncountable
  15. 20
    A placename:; A place in the United Kingdom:; Ellipsis of Dean Village: A neighbourhood, a former village in Edinburgh, Scotland. abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable
  16. 21
    A placename:; A small township in the Shire of Hepburn, central Victoria, Australia. countable, uncountable
  17. 22
    A placename:; A small community in the Musquodoboit Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada. countable, uncountable
  18. 23
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Monterey County, California. countable, uncountable
  19. 24
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Appanoose County, Iowa. countable, uncountable
  20. 25
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; A ghost town in Lander County, Nevada. countable, uncountable
  21. 26
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; A township and village therein, in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. countable, uncountable
  22. 27
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; A minor city in Clay County, Texas. countable, uncountable
Noun
  1. 1
    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).

    "Lucretius versus the Lake Poets ' Nature I loved ; and next to Nature , Art . ' Dean , adult education may seem silly . What of it though ? I got some willy - nilly The other evening at your college deanery . And grateful for it ( Let's not be facetious!)[…]"

  2. 2
    A hill.
  3. 3
    Alternative form of dene. Northumbria, alt-of, alternative
  4. 4
    an administrator in charge of a division of a university or college wordnet
  5. 5
    A dignitary or presiding officer in certain church bodies, especially an ecclesiastical dignitary, subordinate to a bishop, in charge of a chapter of canons.
Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    (Roman Catholic Church) the head of the College of Cardinals wordnet
  2. 7
    The senior member of some group of people.

    "dean of the diplomatic corps - a country's most senior ambassador"

  3. 8
    a man who is the senior member of a group wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To serve as a dean. intransitive, rare
  2. 2
    To send (a student) to see the dean of a college or university. informal, transitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English den, deen (“dean”), from Anglo-Norman deen and continental Old French deien (modern French doyen), from Latin decānus. Doublet of doyen.

Etymology 2

From Middle English den, deen (“dean”), from Anglo-Norman deen and continental Old French deien (modern French doyen), from Latin decānus. Doublet of doyen.

Etymology 3

Related to den.

Etymology 4

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”)

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