"chan" meaning in English

See chan in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /t͡ʃæn/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-chan.wav Forms: chans [plural]
Rhymes: -æn Etymology: Clipping of channel. Etymology templates: {{clipping|en|channel}} Clipping of channel Head templates: {{en-noun}} chan (plural chans)
  1. (Internet, informal) An IRC channel. Tags: Internet, informal Derived forms: chanop, mischan
    Sense id: en-chan-en-noun--KiPJDop Categories (other): Internet, Pages with 24 entries Disambiguation of Pages with 24 entries: 10 17 1 1 3 3 13 14 5 5 5 5 5 9 3 3
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 1

Noun

IPA: /t͡ʃæn/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-chan.wav Forms: chans [plural]
Rhymes: -æn Etymology: From 4chan, a popular imageboard; ultimately from channel. Head templates: {{en-noun}} chan (plural chans)
  1. (Internet, informal) An imageboard. Tags: Internet, informal Derived forms: chanspeak, chantard Related terms: -chan
    Sense id: en-chan-en-noun-08-O5l0b Categories (other): Internet, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 24 entries, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 42 58 Disambiguation of Pages with 24 entries: 10 17 1 1 3 3 13 14 5 5 5 5 5 9 3 3 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 8 17 1 1 2 2 13 15 5 6 6 6 6 10 2 2
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Etymology number: 2

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "channel"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of channel",
      "name": "clipping"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Clipping of channel.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "chans",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "chan (plural chans)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Internet",
          "orig": "en:Internet",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 17 1 1 3 3 13 14 5 5 5 5 5 9 3 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 24 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "chanop"
        },
        {
          "word": "mischan"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              39,
              43
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1997, Dominic Donegan, “Is there a #nethack chan on IRC?”, in rec.games.roguelike.nethack (Usenet):",
          "text": "I tried, but I never get anyone in the chan! I don't know how/where to advertise... maybe we should set up a meeting time or something?",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              134,
              138
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1999, Jonny Durango, “IMPORTANT NEWS FOR AHM IRC CHAN!!!”, in alt.hackers.malicious (Usenet):",
          "text": "If you don't have your password set within a week I'll remove you from the userlist and I'll add you again next time I see you in the chan and make sure you set a pass.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An IRC channel."
      ],
      "id": "en-chan-en-noun--KiPJDop",
      "links": [
        [
          "Internet",
          "Internet"
        ],
        [
          "channel",
          "channel"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Internet, informal) An IRC channel."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Internet",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/t͡ʃæn/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-chan.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c1/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chan.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chan.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c1/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chan.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chan.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-æn"
    }
  ],
  "word": "chan"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_text": "From 4chan, a popular imageboard; ultimately from channel.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "chans",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "chan (plural chans)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Internet",
          "orig": "en:Internet",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "42 58",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 17 1 1 3 3 13 14 5 5 5 5 5 9 3 3",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 24 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 17 1 1 2 2 13 15 5 6 6 6 6 10 2 2",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "chanspeak"
        },
        {
          "word": "chantard"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              11,
              16
            ]
          ],
          "text": "more niche chans",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An imageboard."
      ],
      "id": "en-chan-en-noun-08-O5l0b",
      "links": [
        [
          "Internet",
          "Internet"
        ],
        [
          "imageboard",
          "imageboard"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Internet, informal) An imageboard."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "-chan"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Internet",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/t͡ʃæn/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-chan.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c1/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chan.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chan.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c1/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chan.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chan.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-æn"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "4chan"
  ],
  "word": "chan"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 4chan slang",
    "English clippings",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "Pages with 24 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/æn",
    "Rhymes:English/æn/1 syllable"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "chanop"
    },
    {
      "word": "mischan"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "channel"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of channel",
      "name": "clipping"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Clipping of channel.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "chans",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "chan (plural chans)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Internet"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              39,
              43
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1997, Dominic Donegan, “Is there a #nethack chan on IRC?”, in rec.games.roguelike.nethack (Usenet):",
          "text": "I tried, but I never get anyone in the chan! I don't know how/where to advertise... maybe we should set up a meeting time or something?",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              134,
              138
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1999, Jonny Durango, “IMPORTANT NEWS FOR AHM IRC CHAN!!!”, in alt.hackers.malicious (Usenet):",
          "text": "If you don't have your password set within a week I'll remove you from the userlist and I'll add you again next time I see you in the chan and make sure you set a pass.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An IRC channel."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Internet",
          "Internet"
        ],
        [
          "channel",
          "channel"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Internet, informal) An IRC channel."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Internet",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/t͡ʃæn/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-chan.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c1/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chan.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chan.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c1/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chan.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chan.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-æn"
    }
  ],
  "word": "chan"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English 4chan slang",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "Pages with 24 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/æn",
    "Rhymes:English/æn/1 syllable"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "chanspeak"
    },
    {
      "word": "chantard"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_text": "From 4chan, a popular imageboard; ultimately from channel.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "chans",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "chan (plural chans)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "-chan"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "en:Internet"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              11,
              16
            ]
          ],
          "text": "more niche chans",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An imageboard."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Internet",
          "Internet"
        ],
        [
          "imageboard",
          "imageboard"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(Internet, informal) An imageboard."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Internet",
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/t͡ʃæn/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-chan.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c1/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chan.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chan.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c1/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chan.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-chan.wav.ogg"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-æn"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "4chan"
  ],
  "word": "chan"
}

Download raw JSONL data for chan meaning in English (3.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-01-25 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-01-01 using wiktextract (f492ef9 and 9905b1f). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.