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View synonyms for
an
1[ uhn; when stressed an ]
indefinite article
- the form of a before an initial vowel sound ( an arch; an honor ) and sometimes, especially in British English, before an initial unstressed syllable beginning with a silent or weakly pronounced h :
an historian.
an-
2- a prefix occurring before stems beginning with a vowel or h in loanwords from Greek, where it means “not,” “without,” “lacking” ( anarchy; anecdote ); used in the formation of compound words:
anelectric.
an-
4- variant of ad- before n: announce.
an-
5- variant of ana- before a vowel:
anion.
An
6[ ahn ]
noun
- the Sumerian god of heaven: the counterpart of the Akkadian Anu.
An
7Symbol, Chemistry.
- actinon.
AN
8or A.-N.
abbreviation for
-an
9- a suffix occurring originally in adjectives borrowed from Latin, formed from nouns denoting places ( Roman; urban ) or persons ( Augustan ), and now productively forming English adjectives by extension of the Latin pattern. Attached to geographic names, it denotes provenance or membership ( American; Chicagoan; Tibetan ), the latter sense now extended to membership in social classes, religious denominations, etc., in adjectives formed from various kinds of noun bases ( Episcopalian; pedestrian; Puritan; Republican ) and membership in zoological taxa ( acanthocephalan; crustacean ). Attached to personal names, it has the additional senses “contemporary with” ( Elizabethan; Jacobean ) or “proponent of ” ( Hegelian; Freudian ) the person specified by the noun base. The suffix -an, and its variant -ian also occurs in a set of personal nouns, mainly loanwords from French, denoting one who engages in, practices, or works with the referent of the base noun ( comedian; grammarian; historian; theologian ); this usage is especially productive with nouns ending in -ic ( electrician; logician; technician ). See -ian for relative distribution with that suffix.
an.
10abbreviation for
- in the year.
A.N.
11abbreviation for
- Anglo-Norman.
- Associate in Nursing.
AN
1abbreviation for
- Anglo-Norman
an-
2prefix
- not; without
anaphrodisiac
-an
3suffix
- forming adjectives and nouns belonging to or relating to; a person belonging to or coming from
European
- forming adjectives and nouns typical of or resembling; a person typical of
Elizabethan
- forming adjectives and nouns adhering to or following; an adherent of
Christian
- forming nouns a person who specializes or is expert in
phonetician
dietitian
an
4/ æn; ən /
determiner
- a form of the indefinite article used before an initial vowel sound
an honour
an old car
an elf
An
5/ ɑː /
noun
- myth the Sumerian sky god Babylonian counterpartAnu
An
7the chemical symbol for
- actinon
an
8the internet domain name for
- Netherlands Antilles
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Usage
An was formerly often used before words that begin with h and are unstressed on the first syllable: an hotel ; an historic meeting . Sometimes the initial h was not pronounced. This usage is now becoming obsolete
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Grammar Note
See a 1.
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yvlog History and Origins
Origin of an4
Middle English < Latin -us, -a, -um; in some words replacing -ain, -en < Old French < Latin
Origin of an5
From the Latin word Բō
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yvlog History and Origins
Origin of an1
from Greek
Origin of an2
from Latin -us, suffix of adjectives
Origin of an3
Old English one
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