dean

• IPA^(key): /diːn/
• IPA^(key): [dĩːn], enPR: dēn (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this pronunciation?)
• Rhymes: -iːn
• Homophone: dene

From Anglo-Norman deen, from Old French deien, from Latin decānus.

dean (plural deans)

1. A senior official in a college or university, who may be in charge of a division or faculty (for example, the dean of science) or have some other advisory or disciplinary function (for example, the dean of students).
2. A dignitary or presiding officer in certain church bodies, especially an ecclesiastical dignitary, subordinate to a bishop, in charge of a chapter of canons.
3. The senior member of some group of people.

   dean of the diplomatic corps - a country's most senior ambassador

   dean of the House - the longest-serving member of a legislature

   • 1955, Rex Stout, "The Next Witness", in Three Witnesses, October 1994 Bantam edition, →ISBN, page 67:

     All of the switchboard operators had been parties to it, including Marie Willis. Their dean, Alice Hart, collected […]

• (Head of cathedral chapter): provost

• dean and chapter
• deanery
• deaness

• decanal
• doyen

dean (third-person singular simple present deans, present participle deaning, simple past and past participle deaned)

1. (intransitive, rare) To serve as a dean.
2. (transitive, rare, informal) To send (a student) to see the dean of a university.

Related to den.

dean (plural deans)

1. (Sussex, chiefly in place names) A hill.

• Aden, Dane, Dena, Edna, Enda, aden-, ande, nade

From Late Latin decānus, from Latin decem (“ten”). Compare Italian decano, Venetian degàn, French doyen.

dean m (plural deans)

1. (religion) dean
2. doyen

• dîs

dean

1. third-person plural present subjunctive of dar