Dictionary

paan en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /pɑːn/

Etymology

Borrowed from Hindi पान (pān). Possible doublet of fern via Proto-Indo-European *pornóm.

Meanings

1. (India, countable, uncountable) A psychoactive preparation of betel leaf combined with areca nut and/or cured tobacco, chewed recreationally in Asia; such a preparation served wrapped in the leaf.
   • Preparing a paan is simple. The leaf is first cleaned with water and dried. It is then covered with a thin layer of lime paste. In north India, paan sellers then spread red-coloured syrup (extracted from a native plant) over the lime paste. 2006, M. R. Narayan Swamy, New Delhi, page 31:
   • A paan consists of chopped or shredded nut (always referred to as betel nut, though in fact it comes from the areca palm), wrapped in a leaf (which does come from the betel tree).[…]The triangular package thus formed is wedged inside your cheek and chewed slowly, and in the case of chuna and zarda paans, spitting out the juice as you go. 2003, David Abram, Nick Edwards, The Rough Guide to South India, Rough Guides, page 52:
   • ‘I am an Indian, it is an Indian habit to take pan. The Civil Surgeon must put up with it.’ 1924, EM Forster, A Passage to India, Penguin, published 2005, page 13:
   • Perched outside Madhavbagh Temple, decorated with antique mirrors, this 100-year-old shop serves up juicy paans, plump with mawa. 2005, Rashmi Uday Singh, Mumbai by Night, page 142:

Forms

Relateds

meetha paan · malai paan

Translations (41)

or ଖିଲିପାନ (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · ta தாம்பூலம் (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · tl hitso (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · ms bersirih (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · de Betelbissen (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · pt paan (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · fa تانبول (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · ne पान (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · km ស្លាថ្មាត់ (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · ta வெற்றிலை பாக்கு (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · cs paan (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · tl nganga (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · id menyiri (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · cs betel (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · ml മുറുക്കാൻ (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · lo ໝາກ (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · kn ತಾಂಬೂಲ (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · fi paan (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · cs betelové sousto (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · ja 檳榔 (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · bn পান (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · fa پان (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · ja ビンロウ (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · cmn 檳榔 /槟榔 (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · km ស្លាជីប (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · id menginang (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · pa ਪਾਨ (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · af paan (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · syl ꠙꠣꠘ (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · hi बीड़ा (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · ms menginang (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · vi trầu (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · nan-hbl 檳榔 /槟榔 (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · te తాంబూలము (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · hi पान (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · mr विडा (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · de Betelpriem (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · tl mam-in (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · th หมาก (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · as পাণ (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf) · my ကွမ်းယာ (psychoactive preparation of betel leaf)