Dane
(deɪn)
[Corresponds to Da. Daner, ON. Danir:—OTeut. Dani-z pl., Danes, L. Dani pl. The OE. form was Dęne pl. (with umlaut), which would have given Dene in ME.: cf. OE. Denemearc in 11th c., later Denmearc, Denmarc, in ON. Danmörk (:—marku), Da. Dannemark, Danmark, the Danish mark or country, Denmark.]
1. A native or subject of Denmark; in older usage including all the Northmen who invaded England from the 9th to the 11th c.
| 901 O.E. Chron., Butan ðam dæle þe under Dena onwalde wæs. a 1050 Ibid. an. 1018 (Laud MS.) And Dene and Engle wurdon sam mæle æt Oxnaforda. a 1300 Cursor M. 24771 (Cott.) Harald..Þat born was o þe danis [v.r. danas, danes] blod. 1483 Cath. Angl. 89 A Dan, dacus, quidam populus. 1596 Spenser State Irel. Wks. (Globe) 642/2 The others [hills] that are rounde were cast up by the Danes..for they are called Dane-rathes, that is, hills of the Danes. 1602 Shakes. Ham. v. ii. 352, I am more an Antike Roman than a Dane. 1682 Evelyn Let. to Pepys 19 Sept., If euer there were a real dominion [of the seas] in the world, the Danes must be yielded to haue had it. 1863 Tennyson Welcome to Alexandra, Saxon and Norman and Dane are we, But all of us Danes in our welcome of thee. |
2. Applied to a breed or breeds of dogs.
great Dane (also simply Dane): a large, powerful, shorthaired breed of dog, between the mastiff and greyhound types. lesser Dane: the Dalmatian, or coach-dog.
| [1750 Buffon Hist. Nat. s.v. Chien, Le grand danois.] 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. III. viii. 286 The Bull-dog, as Mr. Buffon supposes, is a breed between the small Dane and the English mastiff. The large Dane is the tallest dog that is generally bred in England. ― ibid. 292 The great Dane. 1800 Sydenham Edwards Cynogr. Brit. s.v., A beautiful variety, called the Harlequin Dane, has a finely marbled coat. 1870 D. P. Blaine Encycl. Rur. Sports 394 The great Dane is rather pied or patched than spotted..The lesser Dane dog, Dalmatian, or coach dog. 1883 Great Dane Club Rules (Standard of Points), The Great Dane is not so heavy as the Mastiff, nor should he too nearly approach the Greyhound in type. 1891 Times 28 Oct. 11/5 Great Danes have certainly become very popular during the last few years. |
3. attrib. or as adj. = Danish.
| 1873 Stubbs Const. Hist. I. 199 The amalgamation of the Dane and Angle population began from the moment of the conversion. |