What does "tanner" mean?
A person whose occupation is to tan hides, or convert them into leather by the use of tan.
Tanner
/ˈtænɚ/ adj, name, noun, slang
adj, name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person whose occupation is to tan hides, or convert them into leather by the use of tan.
- Grammar: tanner is listed as adj, name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: bronzed, builder, craftsman, hide dresser.
- Useful contrasts: consumer, nonworker, pale.
- Usage evidence: Eighty-one-year-old [Martha] Stewart says that a spray tan before her debut Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover boosted her confidence. Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken in Barbie, had a personal tanner on set.
How to use "tanner"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tanner" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tanner" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tanner" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tanner" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tanner" is acting as adj, name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bronzed" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tanner", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person whose occupation is to tan hides, or convert them into leather by the use of tan.
- 2 A former British coin worth six old pence. British, colloquial
"[A]s you are so flash of your money, though you say you are poor, you may give me a tanner to buy a little baccy with; […]"
- 3 Any of several spider crabs of the genus Chionoecetes, especially Chionoecetes bairdi and Chionoecetes opilio.
"Near-synonym: snow crab"
- 4 a craftsman who tans skins and hides wordnet
- 5 A person who applies a tan (especially a spray tan) on someone's skin.
"Eighty-one-year-old [Martha] Stewart says that a spray tan before her debut Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover boosted her confidence. Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken in Barbie, had a personal tanner on set."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 a small coin of the United Kingdom worth six pennies; not minted since 1970 wordnet
- 7 A long-horned beetle of species Prionus coriarius.
Adjective
- 1 comparative form of tan: more tan comparative, form-of
"He was a lot tanner than I remembered, or maybe he just looked darker because of the change of light."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname originating as an occupation for a tanner.
- 2 A male given name transferred from the surname, of modern usage.
- 3 A place in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Limestone County, Alabama.
- 4 A place in the United States:; A locality in Washington County, Georgia.
- 5 A place in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Center Township, Greene County, Indiana.
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 A place in the United States:; An unincorporated community in LaRue County, Kentucky.
- 7 A place in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Scott County, Missouri.
- 8 A place in the United States:; A township in Kidder County, North Dakota.
- 9 A place in the United States:; An unincorporated community and former CDP, replaced by Riverpoint census-designated place, King County, Washington. May have been annexed by North Bend.
- 10 A place in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Gilmer County, West Virginia.
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Eighty-one-year-old [Martha] Stewart says that a spray tan before her debut Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover boosted her confidence. Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken in Barbie, had a personal tanner on set."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tanner"?
Common synonyms include: bronzed, builder, craftsman, hide dresser, leatherworker, sixpence.
How do you use "tanner" in a sentence?
Eighty-one-year-old [Martha] Stewart says that a spray tan before her debut Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover boosted her confidence. Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken in Barbie, had a personal tanner on set.
How do you pronounce "tanner"?
Pronounced /ˈtænɚ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English tannere, from Old English tannere; and Old French tannour, equivalent to tan + -er.
Etymology 2
Named after John Sigismund Tanner (1705–1775), who designed a sixpence for the Royal Mint during the reign of King George II.
Etymology 3
Probably from the taxonomic eponym tanneri in the species name Chionoecetes tanneri, named after American naval officer Zera Luther Tanner (1835–1906).