dean

Etymology 1

From Middle English den, deen (“dean”), from Anglo-Norman deen and continental Old French deien (modern French doyen), from Latin decānus. Doublet of doyen.

noun

1. 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).
   Lucretius versus the Lake Poets ' Nature I loved ; and next to Nature , Art . ' Dean , adult education may seem silly . What of it though ? I got some willy - nilly The other evening at your college deanery . And grateful for it ( Let's not be facetious!)[…] 1995-10, Robert Frost, Richard Poirier, Robert Frost: Collected Poems, Prose, & Plays (LOA #81) (DE-601)374069697: Library of America series), Library of America, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 357
2. A dignitary or presiding officer in certain church bodies, especially an ecclesiastical dignitary, subordinate to a bishop, in charge of a chapter of canons.
3. The senior member of some group of people.
   dean of the diplomatic corps - a country's most senior ambassador
   dean of the House - the longest-serving member of a legislature
   All of the switchboard operators had been parties to it, including Marie Willis. Their dean, Alice Hart, collected[…] October 19 1955, Rex Stout, The Next Witness, Three Witnesses, 94 Bantam, page 67

verb

1. (intransitive, rare) To serve as a dean.
2. (transitive, Oxbridge, otherwise rare, informal) To send (a student) to see the dean of a college or university.

Etymology 2

Related to den.

noun

1. (Sussex, chiefly in place names) A hill.

Etymology 3

noun

1. (Northumbria, chiefly in place names) Alternative form of dene.