Dans

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Advanced ranks of skill awarded in martial arts such as judo or karate, or in games like go, shown by a black belt or a numbered level
2. The higher levels of mastery that practitioners earn in disciplines like judo, karate, or go, usually recognized by a numbered grade
3. Numbered grades of expertise conferred on practitioners of martial arts or board games to mark their advancement beyond beginner level

Etymology: In Japanese, the character 段 means "step" or "grade," and it gives English its "dan," a ranked level of achievement in judo, karate, and other martial arts, most often used for black-belt grades. "Dans" is simply the plural, used when speaking of several such ranks or of practitioners holding them, as in "she holds two dans in karate." The English word thus borrows a Japanese term for a ladder of graded steps, and the plural keeps the same form.