alan

noun

variants or alaunt or less commonly alant or alaun or alaund
plural -s
1
archaic : a large dog used to hunt wild animals
2
heraldry : a short-eared dog

Word History

Etymology

Middle English alaunt, from Middle French alant, alan, from Old Spanish alán, alano

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of alan was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near alan

alamo vine

alan

à la nage

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Alan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alan. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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