dun

views updated May 14 2018

dun1 / dən/ • adj. of a dull grayish-brown color: a dun cow. ∎ poetic/lit. dark; dusky: when the dun evening comes.• n. 1. a dull grayish-brown color.2. a thing that is dun in color, in particular: ∎  a horse with a sandy or sandy-gray coat, black mane, tail, and lower legs, and a dark dorsal stripe. ∎  a sub-adult mayfly, which has drab coloration and opaque wings. ∎  an artificial fishing fly imitating this.dun2 • v. (dunned, dun·ning) [tr.] make persistent demands on (someone), esp. for payment of a debt: they would very likely start dunning you for payment of your taxes | [as adj.] (dunning) she received two dunning letters from the bank. • n. archaic a debt collector or an insistent creditor. ∎  a demand for payment.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

dun

views updated May 18 2018

dun 2 importunate creditor, agent employed to collect debts. XVII. poss. abbrev. of †dunkirk (XVII) privateer, orig. ship from Dunkirk, town on the French coast.
Hence vb. XVII.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

dun

views updated May 23 2018

dun 1 dull or dingy brown. OE. dun(n) = OS. dun, prob. rel. to OS. dosan, OHG. tusin (cf. DUSK).

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

dun

views updated May 29 2018
A Dictionary of Zoology MICHAEL ALLABY

dun

views updated May 17 2018

dun Brown discoloration in salted fish caused by mould growth.

A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition DAVID A. BENDER

More From encyclopedia.com

About this article

dun

All Sources -
Updated Aug 08 2016 About encyclopedia.com content Print Topic

You Might Also Like