Dictionary

taipan en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈtaɪpæn/ (UK)

Etymology

From Wik-Mungkan tay-pan (or dhayban).

Meanings

1. Any venomous elapid snake of the genus Oxyuranus, found in Australia and New Guinea.

Forms

Deriveds

coastal taipan · Central Ranges taipan · Papuan taipan · inland taipan · western taipan

Translations (18)

de Taipane (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus) · fi taipaanit (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus) · ko 타이판독사 (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus) · cs taipan (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus) · tr taipan (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus) · bg тайпан (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus) · pl tajpan (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus) · be тайпаны (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus) · lt taipanai (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus) · pt taipan (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus) · th สกุลงูไทปัน (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus) · sh тајпан (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus) · wim thaypan (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus) · ru тайпа́н (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus) · cmn 太攀蛇 (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus) · ja タイパン (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus) · sl tajpan (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus) · fi myrkkytarhakäärme (venomous snake of the genus Oxyuranus)

taipan en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈtaɪpæn/ (UK)

Etymology

From Cantonese 大班 (daai⁶ baan¹, “big shot, rich businessman”), originally as taepan. Related to tycoon, from Japanese 大君(たいくん) (taikun).

Meanings

1. A foreign businessman in China; a tycoon.
   • Of course it was very sad, but the taipan could hardly help a smile when he thought how many of these young fellows he had drunk underground. 1922, W. Somerset Maugham, The Taipan:
   • The British taipans stood in one sodden circle with their womenfolk, like bored officers at a garrison get-together. 1977, John Le Carré, The Honourable Schoolboy, Folio Society, published 2010, page 438:
2. (Philippines) A tycoon (usually of Chinese Filipino background)

Forms

Relateds

tycoon

wikipedia: Somerset Maugham · wikipedia: James Clavell