Link Centre Dictionary

wan

UK/wæn/ US/wɑn/ fairly common
adjective (3) noun (1) verb (1)

adjective

1.

(of light) lacking in intensity or brightness; dim or feeble

  • “the pale light of a half moon”
  • “a pale sun”
  • “the late afternoon light coming through the el tracks fell in pale oblongs on the street”
  • “a pallid sky”
  • “the pale (or wan) stars”
  • “the wan light of dawn”
Synonyms
Similar
2.

abnormally deficient in color as suggesting physical or emotional distress

  • “the pallid face of the invalid”
  • “her wan face suddenly flushed”
Synonyms
Similar
3.

lacking vitality as from weariness or illness or unhappiness

  • “a wan smile”
Similar

noun

1.

a computer network that spans a wider area than does a local area network

Synonyms

verb

1.

Origin

From Middle English wan, wanne (“grey, leaden; pale grey, ashen; blue-black (like a bruise); dim, faint; dark, gloomy”), from Old English wann (“dark, dusky”), from Proto-Germanic *wannaz (“dark, swart”), of uncertain origin. Cognate with Old Frisian wann, wonn (“dark”).

Phrases

  • green and wan

Related words

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.