dean

Meanings

Noun

• A senior official in a college or university, who may be in charge of a division or faculty (for example, the dean of science) or have some other advisory or disciplinary function (for example, the dean of students).
• A dignitary or presiding officer in certain church bodies, especially an ecclesiastical dignitary, subordinate to a bishop, in charge of a chapter of canons.
• The senior member of some group of people.
• A hill.

Verb

• To serve as a dean.
• To send (a student) to see the dean of a university.

Related

Similar words

• provost

Origin

• From Middle English den, deen, from Anglo-Norman deen and continental Old French deien (modern French doyen), from Latin decānus. doyen.
• Related to den.