gowk

[ gouk, gohk ]

/ gaʊk, goʊk /

noun

British Dialect. cuckoo.

a fool or simpleton.

Nearby words

govt, govt., gowan, gowd, gower, gowk, gowl, gown, gownsman, gox, goy

Origin of gowk

1275–1325; Middle English goke < Old Norse gaukr; cognate with Old English gēac, German Gauch

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gowk

It's no use just to be a good husband to her: any gowk can be that.
A Safety Match|Ian Hay
But the story of the Cuckoo has made its local name the "Gowk" synonymous with an inhabitant of the vale.
Lays and Legends of the English Lake Country|John Pagen White
It was no more an essay than a twig is a tree, for the gowk had stuck in the middle of his second page.
The Art of Public Speaking|Dale Carnagey (AKA Dale Carnegie) and J. Berg Esenwein
Ye hinnae as muckle o' the Sicht as wad let ye see when Leevie was makin' a gowk o' ye to gar ye hang oot signals for her auld jo.
Doom Castle|Neil Munro

In France the party fooled is called un poisson d'avril, 'an April fish'; in Scotland, a 'gowk', or cuckoo.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for gowk

gowk

/ (ɡaʊk) /

noun Scot and Northern English dialect

a stupid person; fool

a cuckoo

Word Origin for gowk

from Old Norse gaukr cuckoo; related to Old High German gouh

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

gowk

noun

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Nearby words

Origin of gowk

Examples from the Web for gowk

British Dictionary definitions for gowk

gowk

noun Scot and Northern English dialect

Word Origin for gowk