What does "gown" mean?
A loose, flowing upper garment.
Gown
/ɡaʊn/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A loose, flowing upper garment.
- Grammar: gown is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: nightdress, robe, surgical gown, academic dress.
- Useful contrasts: civilian clothes, daywear, disrobe.
- Usage evidence: She was wearing a gown of satin.
How to use "gown"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "gown" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- 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 "gown" 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 "gown" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "gown" 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 "gown" is acting as noun, verb 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 "nightdress" 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 "gown", 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 A loose, flowing upper garment.
- 2 a woman's dress, usually with a close-fitting bodice and a long flared skirt, often worn on formal occasions wordnet
- 3 A woman's ordinary outer dress, such as a calico or silk gown.
- 4 outerwear consisting of a long flowing garment used for official or ceremonial occasions wordnet
- 5 The official robe of certain professionals, clerics, and scholars, such as university students and officers, barristers, judges, etc.
"VVhat is he an honeſt man? the deuill he is, he is the Parſon of the Towne, You thinke ther’s no knauerie hid vnder a black gowne, […]"
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 protective garment worn by surgeons during operations wordnet
- 7 The official robe of certain professionals, clerics, and scholars, such as university students and officers, barristers, judges, etc.; The dress of civil officers, as opposed to military officers.
- 8 lingerie consisting of a loose dress designed to be worn in bed by women wordnet
- 9 The university community, especially as contrasted with the local populace. metonymically
"In the perennial town versus gown battles, townies win some violent battles, but the collegians are winning the war."
- 10 the members of a university as distinguished from the other residents of the town in which the university is located wordnet
- 11 A loose wrapper worn by gentlemen within doors; a dressing gown.
- 12 Any sort of dress or garb.
- 13 The robe worn by a surgeon.
Verb
- 1 To dress in a gown, to don or garb with a gown.
- 2 dress in a gown wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"She was wearing a gown of satin."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "gown"?
Common synonyms include: nightdress, robe, surgical gown, academic dress, attire, ball gown.
How do you use "gown" in a sentence?
She was wearing a gown of satin.
How do you pronounce "gown"?
Pronounced /ɡaʊn/.
Etymology
From Middle English gowne, from Anglo-Norman goune, gune (“fur-trimmed coat, pelisse”), from Old French goune, from Late Latin gunna (“leather garment, a fur”). Cognate with Manx gooyn, Irish gúna.