gowk

[gouk, gohk]

noun

British Dialect. cuckoo.

a fool or simpleton.

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

Historical Examples of gowk

It's no use just to be a good husband to her: any gowk can be that.
A Safety Match
Ian Hay
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
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
Late vernal equinoctial gales contemporary with the gowk or cuckoo.
The Sailor's Word-Book
William Henry Smyth
Gowk's-spittle, The frothy matter frequently seen on the leaves of plants, S.
An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language
John Jamieson

British Dictionary definitions for gowk

gowk

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

Word Origin and History for gowk

"cuckoo," early 14c., from Old Norse gaukr, from Proto-Germanic *gaukoz (cf. Old English geac, Old High German gouh). Meaning "fool" attested from c.1600.