A brownish color; or the process of converting animal hide into leather, or skin darkening from sun exposure.
From Old French 'tan' meaning oak bark used in leather processing, ultimately from Celtic origins. The color meaning developed from the brown appearance of tanned leather, later extending to sun-darkened skin.
The tanning process that creates leather involves tannic acid, originally extracted from oak bark - the same chemical compound that makes tea astringent and wine complex. Medieval tanners were often banished to the outskirts of towns because the process smelled terrible, yet produced one of civilization's most essential materials.
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