sʌn 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. øagainst 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. øøsunless adj. sunlessness n. sunlike adj. sunproof adj. sunward adj. & adv. sunwards adv. [OE sunne, sunna]