Khan Meaning
/kɑːn/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA ruler over various Turkic and Mongol peoples in the Middle Ages.
nounAn Ottoman sultan.
Sentence Examples
Queen Elizabeth II is thought to be descended from Genghis Khan via her grandmother.
Kublai Khan is the grandson of Genghis Khan.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The legendary ____ led his warriors across Asia in the 13th century.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The title ____ was historically used by rulers of various Central Asian and Mongol tribes long ago.
Word Origin & History
Via late Middle English can, chan from Old French chan, from Medieval Latin chanis, from Turkic *qan, contraction of *qaɣan. Cognate with Old Turkic 𐰴𐰍𐰣 (qaɣan), and Mongolian хаан (xaan), possibly from Rouran. Sense 1 (ruler in the Middle Ages) after Genghis Khan, from Middle Mongol ᠬᠠᠭᠠᠨ (qaɣan). Doublet of khagan.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"‘Guess the name of that,’ she said, pointing to her delicate parts. The porter tried this name and that and ended by asking her to tell him and cease her slapping. ‘The khān of Abu-Mansur,’ she replied."
— 1923, Powys Mathers, transl., The Thousand Nights and One Night:
""Sunscreens protect you from UVA/UVB rays which can be emitted from many sources of light such as the sun, your tubelight and devices," Dr Kaleem Khan said, adding that using sunscreen once a day is the bare minimum you can do for your skin."
— 2021 April 4, “Here’s why Gwyneth Paltrow’s application of sunscreen in a recent video is highly misleading”, in Raj Kamal Jha, editor, The Indian Express, Noida, Uttar Pradesh: Indian Express Limited, →OCLC, archived from the original on 10 Feb 2024:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The legendary ____ led his warriors across Asia in the 13th century.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The title ____ was historically used by rulers of various Central Asian and Mongol tribes long ago.