james dean

noun

1. James (Byron),1931–55, U.S. actor.
2. Jay HannaDizzy, 1911–74, U.S. baseball pitcher.
3. a male given name: from the Old English family name meaning “valley.”

noun

1. the chief administrative official of a college or university faculty
2. (at Oxford and Cambridge universities) a college fellow with responsibility for undergraduate discipline
3. mainly Church of England the head of a chapter of canons and administrator of a cathedral or collegiate church
4. RC Church the cardinal bishop senior by consecration and head of the college of cardinalsSee also rural dean Related adjective: decanal

noun

1. Forest of Dean a forest in W England, in Gloucestershire, between the Rivers Severn and Wye: formerly a royal hunting ground

noun

1. Christopher. See Torvill and Dean
2. James (Byron). 1931–55, US film actor, who became a cult figure; his films include East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause (both 1955). He died in a car crash

n.

early 14c., from Old French deien (12c., Modern French doyen), from Late Latin decanus “head of a group of 10 monks in a monastery,” from earlier secular meaning “commander of 10 soldiers” (which was extended to civil administrators in the late empire), from Greek dekanos, from deka “ten” (see ten). Replaced Old English teoðingealdor. College sense is from 1570s (in Latin from late 13c.).