spray tan

noun

plural spray tans
: a simulated suntan produced by darkening the skin with a sprayed-on chemical preparation
There's no doubt that, when choosing between a spray tan and actual tanning, the former is a much safer way to achieve a summer glow.Zoë Weiner
Someone gave me a gift certificate for a spray tan a few years ago. It left me golden brown with a just a hint of orange, but had an unpleasant odor to it.Lori Borgman
also : the chemical preparation used to produce a spray tan
Pantyhose are making a comeback! … We might have Kate Middleton to thank for that, or women could have just gotten really tired of applying spray tan to their legs during winter. Jennifer Wright

Examples of spray tan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Like all giant pumpkins, its flesh was warped by all that mass—sort of like Jabba the Hutt with a spray tan. Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 22 Oct. 2024 The 25-year-old gymnast got his first spray tan in preparation for Disney Night on Dancing with the Stars, and his partner Rylee Arnold was there to film the entire thing. Michelle Lee, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024 Even artificial tanning methods, like tanning beds or spray tans, can leave you vulnerable to UV exposure. Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2024 Bailey Zimmerman is taking an unexpected policy stance: spray tans for all. Jade Gomez, Peoplemag, 27 Sep. 2024 Sunny Nights will follow siblings Martin (Forte) and Vicki (Carden) Marvin who venture to Sydney determined to start their spray tan business. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 10 July 2024 Alternatives include spray tans, over-the-counter self-tanning products and tanning beds. Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 3 July 2024 While self-tanning products are considered safer than spray tans or natural tans, some concerns have arisen surrounding dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which is the ingredient in fake tanning products that gives skin a brown pigment. Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 3 July 2024 For a longer-lasting, full-body glow for the summer, though, drugstore self-tanners and spray tans have become a newfound go-to in the Black beauty community. Kyndall Cunningham, Vox, 22 June 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spray tan.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spray tan was in 1950

Dictionary Entries Near spray tan

Cite this Entry

“Spray tan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spray%20tan. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!