gowk

[ gouk, gohk ]

/ gaʊk, goʊk /

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noun

British Dialect. cuckoo.

a fool or simpleton.

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Origin of gowk

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

Words nearby gowk

go wilding, go with, go without, go without saying, go with the flow, gowk, gowl, gown, gownsman, go wrong, gox

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use gowk in a sentence

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
Just take yoursel' away, if ye please; for really ye're tormenting me—making a perfect gowk o' me, for neither end nor purpose.'
Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland Volume 17|Alexander Leighton
I would offer to do this myself, only I'm a great heavy gowk, and Haggis is no' much better.
The Fiery Totem|Argyll Saxby

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

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