tanning

UK: /ˈtænɪŋ/ US: (tan′ing)

From the verb tan: (⇒ conjugate)

tanning is: ⓘ

v pres p

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

tan•ning  (tan′ing), n. 

1. Clothing the process or art of converting hides or skins into leather.
2. a browning or darkening of the skin, as by exposure to the sun.
3. Informal Terms a thrashing;
   whipping.

• tan¹, + -ing¹ 1475–85

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

tan¹ /tæn/   v., tanned, tan•ning, n., adj., tan•ner, tan•nest. 
v. 

1. Clothing [~ + object] to change (the skin of an animal) into leather, esp. by soaking in a special bath.
2. Physiology to (cause to) become brown by exposure to ultraviolet rays, as of the sun: [~ + object]
   The sun had tanned his skin.
   [no object]
   Her skin had tanned to a golden brown.
3. Informal Terms [~ + object] to spank.

n. 

4. Physiology a brown color appearing on the skin after exposure to the sun:
   [countable] on the beach getting a tan.
5. [uncountable] yellowish brown;
   light brown.

adj. 

6. yellowish brown;
   light brown.
7. Clothing used in or relating to tanning.

Idioms

8. Idioms, Informal Terms tan someone's hide, to beat someone soundly.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

tan¹  (tan), v., tanned, tan•ning, n., adj., tan•ner, tan•nest. 
v.t. 

1. Clothing to convert (a hide) into leather, esp. by soaking or steeping in a bath prepared from tanbark or synthetically.
2. to make brown by exposure to ultraviolet rays, as of the sun.
3. Informal Terms to thrash;
   spank.

v.i. 

4. to become tanned.
5. tan someone's hide, [Informal.] to beat someone soundly:
   She threatened to tan our hides if she found us on her property again.

n. 

6. the brown color imparted to the skin by exposure to the sun or open air.
7. yellowish brown;
   light brown.
8. tanbark.

adj. 

9. of the color of tan;
   yellowish-brown.
10. Clothing used in or relating to tanning processes, materials, etc.

• Gmc; compare Old High German tanna oak, fir, akin to Dutch den fir
• Medieval Latin tannāre, derivative of tannum oak bark, tanbark
• bef. 1000; 1920–25 for def. 2; Middle English tannen to make hide into leather, late Old English *tannian (in past participle getanned; compare tanner¹)

tan′na•ble, adj. 

tan²  (tan), n. 

1. Mathematics tangent (def. 5b).

• by shortening

Tan  (tan), n. 

1. Biographical Amy, born 1952, U.S. novelist.

TAN  (tan), n. 

1. Business tax-anticipation note.

tan-¹,  Symbol, Trig.

1. arc tangent.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

tan / tæn/ noun

1. the brown colour produced by the skin after intensive exposure to ultraviolet rays, esp those of the sun
2. a light or moderate yellowish-brown colour
3. short for tanbark

verb (tans, tanning, tanned)

1. to go brown or cause to go brown after exposure to ultraviolet rays
2. to convert (a skin or hide) into leather by treating it with a tanning agent, such as vegetable tannins, chromium salts, fish oils, or formaldehyde
3. (transitive) to beat or flog

adjective (tanner, tannest)

1. of the colour tan

Etymology: Old English tannian (unattested as infinitive, attested as getanned, past participle), from Medieval Latin tannāre, from tannum tanbark, perhaps of Celtic origin; compare Irish tana thin

ˈtannable adjective

ˈtannish adjective

tan / tæn/ abbreviation

1. tangent (sense 2)