roan

• POS: Adjective, Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

roan, a. [F. rouan; cf. Sp. roano, ruano, It. rovano, roano.].

•  Having a bay, chestnut, brown, or black color, with gray or white thickly interspersed; -- said of a horse.  [1913 Webster]

  "Give my roan a drench."  [1913 Webster]
•  Made of the leather called roan; as, roan binding.  [1913 Webster]

Roan antelope (Zoöl.), a very large South African antelope (Hippotragus equinus). It has long sharp horns and a stiff bright brown mane. Called also mahnya, equine antelope, and bastard gemsbok.

roan, n. 

•  The color of a roan horse; a roan color.  [1913 Webster]
•  A roan horse.  [1913 Webster]
•  A kind of leather used for slippers, bookbinding, etc., made from sheepskin, tanned with sumac and colored to imitate ungrained morocco.  DeColange.  [1913 Webster]

Roan tree. (Bot.) See Rowan tree.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

roan, adj. & n.
--adj. (of an animal, esp. a horse or cow) having a coat of which the prevailing colour is thickly interspersed with hairs of another colour, esp. bay or sorrel or chestnut mixed with white or grey.
--n. a roan animal.

Idiom

blue roan adj. black mixed with white.
--n. a blue roan animal. red roan adj. bay mixed with white or grey.
--n. a red roan animal. strawberry roan adj. chestnut mixed with white or grey.
--n. a strawberry roan animal.

roan, n. soft sheepskin leather used in bookbinding as a substitute for morocco.

Etymology

ME, perh. f. Roan, old name of Rouen in N. France

THESAURUS

roan

Titian, adust, auburn, bay, bay-colored, bayard, brazen, bronze, bronze-colored, bronzed, brownish-red, buckskin, calico pony, castaneous, chestnut, chestnut-brown, copper, copper-colored, coppery, cupreous, dapple-gray, dun, ferruginous, foxy, gray, grizzle, henna, liver-brown, liver-colored, livid-brown, mahogany, paint, painted pony, piebald, pinto, reddish-brown, rubiginous, rufous, russet, russety, rust, rust-colored, rusty, skewbald, sorrel, sunburned, terra-cotta

ROGET THESAURUS

roan

Carrier

N carrier, porter, bearer, tranter, conveyer, cargador, express, expressman, stevedore, coolie, conductor, locomotive, motor, beast, beast of burden, cattle, horse, nag, palfrey, Arab, blood horse, thoroughbred, galloway, charger, courser, racer, hunter, jument, pony, filly, colt, foal, barb, roan, jade, hack, bidet, pad, cob, tit, punch, roadster, goer, racehorse, pack horse, draft horse, cart horse, dray horse, post horse, ketch, Shetland pony, shelty, sheltie, garran, garron, jennet, genet, bayard, mare, stallion, gelding, bronco, broncho, cayuse, creature, critter, cow pony, mustang, Narraganset, waler, stud, Pegasus, Bucephalus, Rocinante, ass, donkey, jackass, mule, hinny, sumpter horse, sumpter mule, burro, cuddy, ladino, reindeer, camel, dromedary, llama, elephant, carrier pigeon, pallet, brace, cart, dolley, support, fork lift, carriage, ship, equine, asinine.

Gray

N gray, neutral tint, silver, pepper and salt, chiaroscuro, grisaille, Payne's gray, black, gray, grey, iron-gray, dun, drab, dingy, leaden, livid, somber, sad, pearly, russet, roan, calcareous, limy, favillous, silver, silvery, silvered, ashen, ashy, cinereous, cineritious, grizzly, grizzled, slate-colored, stone-colored, mouse-colored, ash-colored, cool.