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dean

DEEN/diːn/

Pluraldeans

Verbdeans, deaning, deaned

7 meanings of dean

Practice

  1. 1
    nouncountable
    A senior leader at a college or university who runs one part of it or looks after students.

    The dean of science gave a short speech at graduation.

    She was sent to see the dean after missing too many classes.

  2. 2
    nouncountable
    The oldest or longest-serving member of a group.

    Mr. Lee is the dean of the reporters at the city paper.

    As dean of the group, Tom always speaks first at meetings.

    Similardoyen

    Note
  3. 3
    nouncountable
    A church leader, usually one who is under a bishop and leads a group of priests called canons.

    The dean led the Sunday service at the cathedral.

    The bishop asked the dean to meet with the canons.

  4. 4
    verbcolloquialtransitive
    To send a student to see the dean of their college.

    The porter threatened to dean us if we came in late again.

    The tutor deaned two students for making noise at night.

    Note
  5. 5
    noundialectalNorthumbria
    Another spelling of dene. In the north of England, it means a deep valley with a stream.

    A little stream runs along the bottom of the dean.

    We walked through the wooded dean down to the river.

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 6
    verbrareintransitive
    To work as a dean.

    She deaned at the medical school for ten years.

    My aunt would like to dean at a small college one day.

    Note
  2. 7
    noun
    A hill.

Practice

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Origin

It came into English through French from the Latin word decānus.