n.
Pronunciation: ' do ̇ i- ə n, - ˌ (y)en; ' dwä- ˌ ya n (n)
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from Old French deien, from Late Latin decanus dean ― more at DEAN
Date: 1670
1 a : the senior member of a body or group b : a person considered to be knowledgeable or uniquely skilled as a result of long experience in some field of endeavor
2 : the oldest example of a category