Idioms for tan

    tan someone's hide, Informal. to beat someone soundly: She threatened to tan our hides if she found us on her property again.

Origin of tan

1
before 1000; 1920–25 for def 2; Middle English tannen to make hide into leather, late Old English *tannian (in past participle getanned; cf. tanner1) < Medieval Latin tannāre, derivative of tannum oak bark, tanbark < Germanic; compare Old High German tanna oak, fir, akin to Dutch den fir

OTHER WORDS FROM tan

tan·na·ble, adjective un·tanned, adjective well-tanned, adjective

Words nearby tan

tampion, tampon, tamponade, tampur, tamworth, tan, tan oak, tan rot, tan someone's hide, tan-tung, tana

Words related to tan someone's hide

hit, beat, flay, spank, thrash, lash, tan, flog, belt

British Dictionary definitions for tan someone's hide (1 of 2)

tan 1
/ (tæn) /

noun

verb tans, tanning or tanned

adjective tanner or tannest

of the colour tan tan gloves
used in or relating to tanning

Derived forms of tan

tannable, adjective tannish, adjective

Word Origin for tan

Old English tannian (unattested as infinitive, attested as getanned, past participle), from Medieval Latin tannāre, from tannum tanbark, perhaps of Celtic origin; compare Irish tana thin

British Dictionary definitions for tan someone's hide (2 of 2)

tan 2
/ (tæn) /

abbreviation for

tangent (sense 2)

Scientific definitions for tan someone's hide

tan

Abbreviation of tangent

Idioms and Phrases with tan someone's hide

tan someone's hide

Also, have someone's hide. Spank or beat someone, as in Dad said he'd tan Billy's hide if he caught him smoking, or I'll have your hide if you take something without paying for it. This term uses hide in the sense of “skin.” The allusion in the first expression is to a spanking that will change one's skin just as chemicals tan animal hide (convert it into leather). [Second half of 1600s]