gown

noun

ˈgau̇n 

1

a

: a loose flowing outer garment formerly worn by men

b

: a distinctive robe worn by a professional or academic person

c

: a woman's dress

d(1)

: dressing gown

(2)

: nightgown

e

: 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

• dress
• frock

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

Ella wore a strapless, floral gown with a slit in the leg for the occasion, Aurelia wore a red floor-length gown with a bow at the top, while Briney sported a shorts-suit set paired with white socks and loafers. —Raven Brunner, People.com, 19 June 2025

After all, as concerns around sustainability become more commonplace, wearing an often eye-wateringly expensive gown for one day only seems wasteful in more ways than one. —Emily Chan, Vogue, 19 June 2025

Related article Princess Diana gowns star in ‘largest’ auction of late royal’s fashion In the age of biopics — more than 20 were released in 2023 alone, and another 10 in the works currently — a passing likeness to the public figure in question will not suffice. —Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 18 June 2025

When the time came, J. Lo herself chose this archival Bob Mackie gown. —James Mercadante, EW.com, 17 June 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 1a

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