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

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

Up until that point, Oscar gowns had often been the purview of costume departments and more theatrical designers (save an occasional visit by a Givenchy). —Belinda Luscombe, Time, 5 Sep. 2025

Her two stylists, Mariel Haenn and Rob Zangardi, teamed up to help select and accessorize the gown, with a pink clutch and gold jewelry. —Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2025

For the class of 2025, the promise of the cap and gown is colliding with the unfortunate realities of a labor market in flux. —Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025

Armani designed several looks for Gaga, including a custom Prive black silk one-shoulder gown for the 64th annual Grammy Awards. —Marc Malkin, Variety, 4 Sep. 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