n. & v.
n. 1 a the star round which the earth orbits and from which it receives light and warmth. b any similar star in the universe with or without planets. 2 the light or warmth received from the sun (pull down the blinds and keep out the sun). 3 poet. a day or a year. 4 poet. a person or thing regarded as a source of glory, radiance, etc.
v. (sunned, sunning) 1 refl. bask in the sun. 2 tr. expose to the sun. 3 intr. sun oneself. against the sun anticlockwise. beneath (or under) the sun anywhere in the world. in the sun exposed to the sun's rays. on which the sun never sets (of an empire etc.) worldwide. sun and planet a system of gearing cog wheels. sun-baked dried or hardened or baked from the heat of the sun. sun-bath a period of exposing the body to the sun. sun bear a small black bear, Helarctos malayanus, of SE Asia, with a light-coloured mark on its chest. sun-blind Brit. a window awning. sun-bonnet a bonnet of cotton etc. covering the neck and shading the face, esp. for children. sun-bow a spectrum of colours like a rainbow produced by the sun shining on spray etc. sun-dance a dance of n. American Indians in honour of the sun. sun-deck the upper deck of a steamer. sun-disc a winged disc, emblematic of the sun-god. sun-dog = PARHELION. sun-dress a dress without sleeves and with a low neck. sun-dried dried by the sun, not by artificial heat. sun-glasses glasses tinted to protect the eyes from sunlight or glare. sun-god the sun worshipped as a deity. sun-hat a hat designed to protect the head from the sun. sun-helmet a helmet of cork etc. formerly worn by White people in the tropics. sun in splendour Heraldry the sun with rays and a human face. one's sun is set the time of one's prosperity is over. sun-kissed warmed or affected by the sun. sun-lamp 1 a lamp giving ultraviolet rays for an artificial suntan, therapy, etc. 2 Cinematog. a large lamp with a parabolic reflector used in film-making. sun lounge a room with large windows, designed to receive sunlight. sun parlor US = sun lounge. sun-rays 1 sunbeams. 2 ultraviolet rays used therapeutically. sun-roof a sliding roof on a car. sun-stone a cat's eye gem, esp. feldspar with embedded flecks of haematite etc. sun-suit a play-suit, esp. for children, suitable for sunbathing. sun-up esp. US sunrise. sun visor a fixed or movable shield at the top of a vehicle windscreen to shield the eyes from the sun. take (or shoot) the sun Naut. ascertain the altitude of the sun with a sextant in order to fix the latitude. with the sun clockwise. sunless adj. sunlessness n. sunlike adj. sunproof adj. sunward adj. & adv. sunwards adv.
[ OE sunne, sunna ]