Definition dun
Etymology 1
From Middle English dun, dunne, from Old English dunn (“dun, dingy brown, bark-colored, brownish black”), from Proto-Germanic *dusnaz (“brown, yellow”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“to smoke, raise dust”). Cognate with Old Saxon dun (“brown, dark”), Old High German tusin (“ash-gray, dull brown, pale yellow, dark”), Old Norse dunna (“female mallard; duck”).
Alternative etymology derives the Old English word from Brythonic (compare Middle Welsh dwnn (“dark (red)”)), from Proto-Celtic *dusnos (compare Old Irish donn), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰews- (compare Old Saxon dosan (“chestnut brown”)). More at dusk.
Noun
dun (usually uncountable, plural duns)
- A brownish grey colour.
Adjective
dun (not comparable)
- Of a brownish grey colour.
Etymology 2
Unknown; perhaps a variant of din. Several sources suggest origin from Joe Dun, the name of a bailiff known for arresting debtors, but this is controversial.
Noun
dun (plural duns)
- (countable) A collector of debts.
- An urgent request or demand of payment.
Verb
dun (third-person singular simple present duns, present participle dunning, simple past and past participle dunned)
- (transitive) To ask or beset a debtor for payment.
- (transitive) To harass by continually repeating e.g. a request.
Etymology 3
Uncertain; likely from the color.
Noun
dun (plural duns)
- (countable) A newly hatched, immature mayfly; a mayfly subimago.
- (countable, fishing) A fly made to resemble the mayfly subimago.
Etymology 4
From Irish dún or Scottish Gaelic dùn, from Proto-Celtic *dūnom (“fortress”). Cognate with Welsh dinas (“city”).
Noun
dun (plural duns)
- An ancient or medieval fortification; especially a hill-fort in Scotland or Ireland.
- (archeology) A structure in the Orkney or Shetland islands or in Scotland consisting of a roundhouse surrounded by a circular wall; a broch.
Etymology 5
See do.
Verb
dun
- (nonstandard, informal) Eye dialect spelling of done: past participle of do
- (nonstandard, informal) Eye dialect spelling of don't: contraction of do + not.
Etymology 6
Likely from the color of fish so prepared.
Verb
dun (third-person singular simple present duns, present participle dunning, simple past and past participle dunned)
- (transitive, dated) To cure, as codfish, by laying them, after salting, in a pile in a dark place, covered with saltgrass or a similar substance.
Etymology 7
See dune.
Noun
dun (plural duns)
- A mound or small hill.
Etymology 8
Imitative.
Interjection
dun
- (humorous) Imitating suspenseful music.