Decan

//ˈdɛkən// name, noun, verb

name, noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    One of a collection of 36 small constellations or zodiacal subdivisions that appear heliacally at intervals of 10 days or are separated by approximately 10 degrees.
Verb
  1. 1
    To remove (something, especially nuclear reactor fuel) from a can or similar protective enclosure, cladding, etc.

    "(4) The time required to decan the elements should be minimized due to the highly reactive nature of the exposed fuel even in the inert atmosphere of the cell. Remote Repair. The decanning machine is to be remotely operated, [...]"

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    Alternative spelling of Deccan. alt-of, alternative

Example

More examples

"(4) The time required to decan the elements should be minimized due to the highly reactive nature of the exposed fuel even in the inert atmosphere of the cell. Remote Repair. The decanning machine is to be remotely operated, [...]"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Late Latin decānus.

Etymology 2

From de- + can.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.