dan

n. [ OE. dan, danz, OF. danz (prop. only nom.), dan, master, fr. L. dominus. See Dame. ] A title of honor equivalent to master, or sir. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Old Dan Geoffry, in gently spright
The pure wellhead of poetry did dwell. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

What time Dan Abraham left the Chaldee land. Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a small natural family of usually tropical butterflies, including the monarch butterflies.
Syn. -- family Danaidae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ From the mythical Danaides, who were condemned to fill with water a vessel full of holes. ] (Mach.) A water wheel having a vertical axis, and an inner and outer tapering shell, between which are vanes or floats attached usually to both shells, but sometimes only to one. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Named after J. Freeman Dana. ] (Min.) A cobaltiferous variety of arsenopyrite. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Named after James Dwight Dana. ] (Min.) A mineral occuring in octahedral crystals, also massive, of a reddish color. It is a silicate of iron, zinc manganese, and glucinum, containing sulphur. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. the type genus of the Danaidae, including the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus.
Syn. -- genus Danaus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Min.) A borosilicate of lime, first found at Danbury, Conn. It is near the topaz in form. Dana. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To cause to dance, or move nimbly or merrily about, or up and down; to dandle. [ 1913 Webster ]

To dance our ringlets to the whistling wind. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thy grandsire loved thee well;
Many a time he danced thee on his knee. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To dance attendance, to come and go obsequiously; to be or remain in waiting, at the beck and call of another, with a view to please or gain favor. [ 1913 Webster ]

A man of his place, and so near our favor,
To dance attendance on their lordships' pleasure. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]