gowan

American

[gou-uhn] / ˈgaʊ ən /

noun

Scot. and North England.

any of various yellow or white field flowers, especially the English daisy.

gowan British

/ ˈɡaʊən /

noun

any of various yellow or white flowers growing in fields, esp the common daisy

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of gowan

1560–70; earlier gollan < Old Norse gollinn golden

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 stalk indeed is slender, but it sways without danger of breaking in the blast; in the calm it reposes as gently as the gowan at its root.

From Recreations of Christopher North, Volume I (of 2) by Wilson, John Lyde

Far dearer to me are yon humble broom bowers, Where the blue-bell and gowan lurk lowly unseen; For there, lightly tripping amang the wild flowers, A listening the linnet, aft wanders my Jean.

From Language of Flowers by Greenaway, Kate

It cowes the gowan hoo sae sensible a man as John Darling wad e'er hae looten his dochter tak up wi' sic-like clam-jamphrey.

From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland Volume 10 by Various

Whaur the wee white gowan wi' reid reid tips, Was as white as her cheek and as reid as her lips.

From Ranald Bannerman's Boyhood by MacDonald, George

I'm lying beside the gowan, My jo in the English bay; I'm Annie Rowan, his Annie Rowan, He called me his bien-aim�e.

From Ionica by Cory, William (AKA William Johnson)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023