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

The cute siblings were seen dressed in twinning pink bomber jackets for the occasion, matching their mom's sweeping pink gown. —Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026

In the months after the wedding, British Vogue published a lengthy report on the lavish ceremony, sharing glossy, color photos of Nicola Peltz in her Valentino gown, with its show-stopping train. —Martha Ross, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026

This gown previously belonged to Felipe’s mother, Queen Sofía, who last wore the look in 1977, the year of the collection, at Gymnich Castle on a state trip to Germany with her husband, King Juan Carlos. —César Andrés Baciero, Vanity Fair, 20 Jan. 2026

Dern strutted her stuff in a gown decorated with three-dimensional florals, as well as a pair of sleek sandals. —Hannah Malach, InStyle, 20 Jan. 2026

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