dean Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an administrator in charge of a division of a university or college
  2. noun United States film actor whose moody rebellious roles made him a cult figure (1931-1955)
    James Byron Dean; James Dean.
  3. noun a man who is the senior member of a group
    doyen.
    • he is the dean of foreign correspondents
  4. noun (Roman Catholic Church) the head of the College of Cardinals

WordNet

Dean noun
Etymology
OE. dene, deene, OF. deien, dien, F. doyen, eldest of a corporation, a dean, L. decanus the chief of ten, one set over ten persons, e. g., over soldiers or over monks, from decem ten. See Ten, and cf. Decemvir.
Definitions
  1. A dignitary or presiding officer in certain ecclesiastical and lay bodies; esp., an ecclesiastical dignitary, subordinate to a bishop.
  2. The collegiate officer in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, England, who, besides other duties, has regard to the moral condition of the college. Shipley.
  3. The head or presiding officer in the faculty of some colleges or universities.
  4. A registrar or secretary of the faculty in a department of a college, as in a medical, or theological, or scientific department. U.S.
  5. The chief or senior of a company on occasion of ceremony; as, the dean of the diplomatic corps; -- so called by courtesy.

Webster 1913