gown

noun

ˈgau̇n 

1

a

: a usually long and formal woman's dress

a wedding gown

b

: a distinctive robe worn by a professional or academic person

a graduation gown

c

: a distinctive long outer garment worn by a member of the clergy

d

: a loose flowing outer garment worn formerly by men

e(1)

: dressing gown

(2)

: nightgown

f

: a coverall worn in an operating room

2

: the body of students and faculty of a college or university

rivalry between town and gown

gown transitive verb

Synonyms of gown

• dress

Examples of gown in a Sentence

The bride wore a lovely lace wedding gown.

a shopping trip for the express purpose of finding the perfect gown for the wedding

Recent Examples on the Web

Grande celebrated her character Glinda in her own post, which similarly featured behind-the-scenes snapshots of her inspecting her character’s many pink gowns, posed outside of her trailer, and holding Glinda’s wand. —Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Nov. 2025

Inspired by the landscapes and chromatic richness of Africa, the gown will be showcased together with an exclusive preview of the Roberto Cavalli spring 2026 couture collection. —Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 21 Nov. 2025

Linen maxi dresses stand in for velvet gowns; fluttery cocktail dresses are replaced by floor-length options with long sleeves; the palette gets moody, rich, and inky. —Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 18 Nov. 2025

Paris Hilton looks elegant in a black gown with her signature sparkly touch at the Waldorf Astoria's grand reopening in New York City. —Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 11 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French gune, goune, from Late Latin gunna, a fur or leather garment

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1c

Phrases Containing gown

• ball gown
• dressing gown
• evening gown
• Geneva gown
• hospital gown
• tea gown

Rhymes for gown

• bown
• clown
• crown
• drown
• frown
• lown
• noun
• town
• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown

Kids Definition

gown

noun

ˈgau̇n 

1

: an official robe worn especially by a judge, a member of the clergy, or a teacher

2

: a woman's dress

especially : one suitable for afternoon or evening wear

3

: a loose robe (as a dressing gown or a nightgown)

gown verb

gowned

ˈgau̇nd

adjective

Medical Definition

gown

noun

ˈgau̇n 

: a garment designed to be worn by health care professionals or patients: such as

a

: a sterile one-piece coverall worn by health care personnel especially during a medical procedure to prevent the dispersal of bodily fluids or infectious material : surgical gown

b

: a loose robe that is usually open in the back and is worn by patients in a medical facility (such as a hospital) : hospital gown