dean — the head of a college, university faculty, or academic department
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: the head of a college, university faculty, or academic department
Pronunciation (IPA): /diːn/
Example Sentences
- The new dean promised to reduce tuition fees, but students are still waiting for their wallets to feel lighter... oh wait.
- She was appointed as the youngest dean in the university's history.
- The dean's door is always open, except during lunch, meetings, and whenever students need help.
dean
NOUN[/diːn/]
the head of a college, university faculty, or academic department
Academic leader meeting with faculty
The student proudly made the Dean's List after earning excellent grades throughout the semester. (Dean's List → a list of top academic students named after the dean)
The dean points to a messy scene from his office so clean!
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Late Latin 'decanus', which literally meant 'one who rules ten' or 'leader of ten'. Originally denoting an administrative official in monasteries who supervised ten monks, the term gradually evolved to designate an academic administrator overseeing a college or faculty in universities.
Breakdown
deca- (ten) + -anus (one who, leader of); the root 'decanus' combined the Latin prefix for 'ten' with a suffix indicating a person of authority, eventually shortened to 'dean' in Middle English.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The new dean promised to reduce tuition fees, but students are still waiting for their wallets to feel lighter... oh wait.”
“She was appointed as the youngest dean in the university's history.”
“The dean's door is always open, except during lunch, meetings, and whenever students need help.”
“The dean reviewed all the scholarship applications personally.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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