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Definition of tana

tana

/ˈtɑːnə/
Ta · na

Plural:tanas
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tana Lexical Profile

tana Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A major lake in northwestern Ethiopia, which is the largest lake in the country and the primary source of the Blue Nile river.


2

The longest river in Kenya, flowing for over 600 miles from the Aberdare Mountains to the Indian Ocean.


3

A large species of terrestrial tree shrew native to the rainforests of Southeast Asia, characterized by its elongated snout and reddish-brown fur.

Example

"While foraging on the forest floor in Borneo, the tana uses its sharp claws to dig for insects and fallen fruit."

• Rhymes for tana

Word Origin & Etymology

The geographical names derive from local African languages (Amharic 'Ṭana' for the Ethiopian lake, and likely Kikuyu or related languages for the Kenyan river). The zoological term for the tree shrew derives from Malay 'tupai tana'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Tana. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/tana
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