Gordon

/ˈɡɔrdn̩/ name, noun

name, noun ·Moderate ·College level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: A Gordon setter.
  • Grammar: gordon is listed as name, noun.
  • Nearest alternatives: family name, first name, forename, geographic name.
  • Useful contrasts: given name, surname.
  • Usage evidence: Gordon is interested in the Japanese way of life.

How to use "gordon"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "gordon" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "gordon" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "gordon" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "gordon" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "gordon" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "family name" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "gordon", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A Gordon setter.
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A Scottish habitational surname from the Celtic languages for someone from Gordon, Berwickshire.
  2. 2
    An English habitational surname from Anglo-Norman for someone from Gourdon, France.
  3. 3
    A habitational surname from Irish, an anglicization of de Górdún (“of Gordon (Berwickshire)”).
  4. 4
    A surname from Irish [in turn originating as a patronymic], an adopted anglicization of Mag Mhuirneacháin (“son of Muirneachán”) (traditionally Magournahan).
  5. 5
    A Jewish habitational surname probably for someone from Grodno, Belarus.

    "Mount, vassals, couch your lances, and cry, "Gordon! Gordon for Scotland and Elizabeth!""

Show 20 more definitions
  1. 6
    A male given name transferred from the surname.

    "Often he wrote good ones on casual slips and fancied them his; names like Trevellyan or Montressor or Delancey, with musical prefixes; or a good, short, beautiful, but dignified name like "Gordon Dane". He liked that one. It suggested something."

  2. 7
    A place name:; A village in Berwickshire, Scottish Borders council area, Scotland (OS grid ref NT6443).
  3. 8
    A place name:; A locale in Australia.; A suburb of Canberra; named for poet Adam Lindsay Gordon.
  4. 9
    A place name:; A locale in Australia.; A suburb of Sydney in Ku-ring-gai council area, New South Wales.
  5. 10
    A place name:; A locale in Australia.; A locality in Huon Valley council area and the Kingborough council area, southern Tasmania, Australia.
  6. 11
    A place name:; A locale in Australia.; A river in Tasmania, Australia.
  7. 12
    A place name:; A locale in Australia.; A town in Victoria; named for early settler George Gordon.
  8. 13
    A place name:; A locale in Australia.; A river in Western Australia, Australia; named for British statesman George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen.
  9. 14
    A place name:; A locale in the United States:; A town in Houston County, Alabama.
  10. 15
    A place name:; A locale in the United States:; A city in Wilkinson County, Georgia; named for railroad official William Washington Gordon.
  11. 16
    A place name:; A locale in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Crawford County, Illinois.
  12. 17
    A place name:; A locale in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Butler County, Kansas.
  13. 18
    A place name:; A locale in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Letcher County, Kentucky.
  14. 19
    A place name:; A locale in the United States:; A township in Todd County, Minnesota.
  15. 20
    A place name:; A locale in the United States:; A city in Sheridan County, Nebraska; named for early settler John Gordon.
  16. 21
    A place name:; A locale in the United States:; A village in Darke County, Ohio; named for an early settler.
  17. 22
    A place name:; A locale in the United States:; A borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania; named for judge David F. Gordon.
  18. 23
    A place name:; A locale in the United States:; A minor city in Palo Pinto County, Texas.
  19. 24
    A place name:; A locale in the United States:; A town in Ashland County, Wisconsin; named for fur trader Antoine Guerdon.
  20. 25
    A place name:; A locale in the United States:; A town and census-designated place therein, in Douglas County, Wisconsin.

Synonyms

All synonyms
family namefirst nameforenamegeographic namegiven namelast name

Antonyms

given namesurname

Example

"Gordon is interested in the Japanese way of life."

Common questions

What does "gordon" mean?

A Gordon setter.

What is a synonym for "gordon"?

Common synonyms include: family name, first name, forename, geographic name, given name, last name.

How do you use "gordon" in a sentence?

Gordon is interested in the Japanese way of life.

How do you pronounce "gordon"?

Pronounced /ˈɡɔrdn̩/.

Etymology

The main etymology, associated with Celtic names, is from the Scots surname Gordon, from a place name, but the origin is debated: * If the English or Scots name is from a Brythonic language (such as Old Welsh or Old Breton), then possibly from a Proto-Brythonic compound such as *gor (“spacious”) + *din (“fort”); * If the Scots name is itself from English, then possibly from French Gourdon, derived from Gallo-Roman Latin Gordus, from Gaulish *Gordos; * Otherwise, possibly ultimately from Old English *gor-dūn (“mud hill”) whence a habitational name.

More for "gordon"

Synonyms

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