gown

American  

[goun] / gaʊn /

noun

1. a woman's dress or robe, especially one that is full-length.

   Synonyms:

   frock

2. nightgown.

3. dressing gown.

4. evening gown.

5. a loose, flowing outer garment in any of various forms, worn by a man or woman as distinctive of office, profession, or status.

   an academic gown.

6. the student and teaching body in a university or college town.

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verb (used with object)

1. to dress in a gown.

gown British  

/ ɡaʊn /

noun

1. any of various outer garments, such as a woman's elegant or formal dress, a dressing robe, or a protective garment, esp one worn by surgeons during operations

2. a loose wide garment indicating status, such as worn by academics

3. the members of a university as opposed to the other residents of the university town Compare town

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verb

1. (tr) to supply with or dress in a gown

gown Idioms  

1. see cap and gown; town and gown.

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Related Words

See dress.

Other Word Forms

• ungowned adjective

Etymology

Origin of gown

1300–50; Middle English goune < Old French < Late Latin gunna fur or leather garment

Example Sentences

The best tips were about using words first: “I need to unbutton your gown because I’m going to be scanning your chest, but I’ll keep you covered with this towel.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Edith Wharton is a moth-eaten gown in the musty attic of American literature.

From The Wall Street Journal

She is then taken away in her dressing gown.

From Barron's

When they arrived for the shoot, she was wearing a sequined gown, her black hair up in a bun, her lips painted the same red as her dress.

From Literature

I filled out some paperwork, changed into a backless gown, lay on a bed covered in a warm blanket and waited my turn by softly singing rancheras and Beatles songs.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• costume
• frock
• garb
• garment