Link Centre Dictionary

dean

UK/diːn/ US/diːn/ common informal

noun

1.
2.

United States film actor whose moody rebellious roles made him a cult figure (1931-1955)

Synonyms
3.

a man who is the senior member of a group

  • “he is the dean of foreign correspondents”
Synonyms
4.

(Roman Catholic Church) the head of the College of Cardinals

Origin

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”)

Phrases

  • dean and chapter
  • Dean of the Arches
  • rural dean

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.