gown

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: goun, IPA: /ɡaʊn/, SAMPA: /gaUn/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aʊn

Etymology

Anglo-Norman gune, goune 'fur-trimmed coat, pelisse', from Late Latin gunna 'leather garment, a fur', from Late Greek goúna 'coarse garment', ultimately from Sarmato-Scythian *gaunyā 'fur' (compare Avestan gaona 'body hair', Ossetian γun)

Noun

gown (plural gowns)

1. A loose, flowing upper garment.
2. The ordinary outer dress of a woman; as, a calico or silk gown.
3. The official robe of certain professional men and scholars, as university students and officers, barristers, judges, etc.; hence, the dress of peace; the dress of civil officers, in distinction from military.
4. The university community.

   In the perennial town versus gown battles, townies win some violent battles, but the collegians are winning the war.

5. A loose wrapper worn by gentlemen within doors; a dressing gown.
6. Any sort of dress or garb.
7. The robe worn by a surgeon.

Translations

woman's dress

Dutch: japon (nl) French: robe (fr) f.

Portuguese: vestido (pt) f. Scottish Gaelic: gùn (gd) m.

official robe

Dutch: toga (nl) f. French: toge (fr) f. (general term, especially Roman Antiquity), robe (fr) f. (magistrates & court lawyers), Hungarian: talár (hu)

Italian: toga (it) f. Portuguese: beca (pt) f. Swahili: gauni (sw)

Verb

gown (third-person singular simple present gowns, present participle gowning, simple past and past participle gowned)

1. To dress in a gown, to don or garb with a gown.

Anagrams

• wong