noun
Uncommon
shan
shahn
Shan (noun) means a member of an ethnic group of around six million people living mainly in Myanmar's Shan State, with communities also in China, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Example: “The festival celebrated traditional Shan dress and dance.”
noun
1
A member of an ethnic group of around six million people living mainly in Myanmar's Shan State, with communities also in China, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
"The festival celebrated traditional Shan dress and dance."
name
1
The Tai-Kadai language spoken by the Shan people.
"She grew up speaking Shan at home and Burmese at school."
adj
1
Poor in quality, or unfair and harsh — a dated, informal use.
"He complained that the referee's decision was shan."
How to use shan
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost often refers to the Shan people of Myanmar and their language; the "unfair/poor-quality" adjective sense is rare and dated.
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more shan
- Superlative
- most shan
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The festival celebrated traditional _____ dress and dance.
Etymology
Origin uncertain; the adjective sense may derive from "shand" ("worthless"), possibly via Romani.
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Rhymes for shan
See all rhymes for shan →Frequently asked questions
What does “shan” mean?
The word “shan” means a member of an ethnic group of around six million people living mainly in Myanmar's Shan State, with communities also in China, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. In plain terms, most often refers to the Shan people of Myanmar and their language; the "unfair/poor-quality" adjective sense is rare and dated.
How do you pronounce “shan”?
“Shan” is pronounced shahn (/ʃɑn/ in IPA).
How do you use “shan” in a sentence?
Here is “shan” used in a sentence: “The festival celebrated traditional Shan dress and dance.”
What part of speech is “shan”?
Depending on how it is used, “shan” can be a noun, a name and an adjective.
Is “shan” a common word?
“Shan” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “shan” have?
“Shan” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a member of an ethnic group of around six million people living mainly in Myanmar's Shan State, with communities also in China, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
