tan

Everyday

1. A tan is the brown colour skin gets after being in the sun. tree →
2. (verb) To tan is to go brown in the sun. tree →
3. (adjective, noun) Tan is a light yellow-brown colour. tree →
4. (verb) To tan leather is to turn animal skin into leather. tree →
5. In maths, "tan" is short for tangent (for older pupils). tree →

In the lessons

Used in health and safety: a tan is a sign that skin has been damaged by the sun; wear sun cream, a hat and stay in the shade. In art and description: tan shoes, a tan dog. In history: tanning leather.

Examples

• He got a tan on holiday. tree →
• A tan is a sign that the sun has hurt your skin. tree →
• Wear sun cream so you don't burn or tan. tree →
• She wore tan boots. tree →
• Our dog is black and tan. tree →
• People tanned animal skins to make leather. tree →
• My arms tanned in the garden. tree →

Note

Verb doubles the n: tanned, tanning. Myth: "a tan protects you" is mostly false; sun damage still happens.