Gawain
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of Gawain
From Old French Gauvain, Gavain, from Medieval Latin Galvaginus, Gwalguanus, often considered to be a corruption of Welsh Gwalchmei, perhaps from gwalch “hawk” ( cf. Galahad ( def. )) and a second element of uncertain origin, possibly either maes “field” + Mai May ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The death of King Arthur is caused by a blood feud between two of his foremost knights, Lancelot and Gawain, who had once been close friends.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 26, 2025
Valeska Paris and husband and wife Gawain and Laura Baxter, who filed the complaint in April, left the church’s military-style workforce called the Sea Org in 2009 and 2012, respectively.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 29, 2022
He is perhaps best known for 1971 orchestral work The Triumph of Time, as well as operas The Mask Of Orpheus, Gawain and The Minotaur.
From BBC • Apr. 19, 2022
You’re less likely to have seen the tale of Arthur’s nephew Gawain — the subject of the anonymous 14th-century poem “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” — on the big screen.
From New York Times • Mar. 7, 2022
"This is actually a rare and valuable artifact passed down for generations. Lancelot used it, so did Sir Gawain, and for a time the Black Knight kept it on a chain next to his heart."
From "Freak The Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
