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clown definition

clown (klo̵un)

noun

  1. Obsolete a peasant or farmer; rustic
  2. a clumsy, boorish, or incompetent person
  3. a performer who entertains, as in a circus, by antics, jokes, tricks, etc.; jester
  4. a person who constantly plays the fool, makes jokes, etc.; buffoon

Etymology: < ? Scand, as in Ice klunni, clumsy person

intransitive verb

  1. to perform as a clown
  2. to play practical jokes, act silly, etc.

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

clown Synonyms

clown

n.

buffoon, fool, mime, jester, mummer, joker, harlequin, merry-andrew, Punch, punchinello, funnyman, humorist, pierrot, wag, antic, comedian, comic, wit, zany, droll, cutup*; see also actor 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

clown Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • eat: Jul 10 2004, 10:20 PM HGM Two cannibals are eating a clown.

Adjective modifier

  • drunken: Hoggard pops Malinga to slip off the arm, and the drunken clowns in the crowd are screaming no-ball every time he bowls.

Modifies a noun

  • loach: My 7 " silver shark, 2 x 5 " clown loaches among others all wiped out.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • around: The featurette has some good behind the scenes footage, especially of the guys clowning around on set.

Preposition: in

  • circus: Brazilian born Angela de Castro has performed and taught clowning in circuses and at festivals across the world.

Noun used with modifier

  • circus: Together, they met up socially with the third member of their team, Amy Howard, a circus clown.
clown usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

clown quotes

Where are Elmer, Herman, Bert,Tom and Charley, The weak of will, the strong of arm, the clown, the boozer, the fighter? All, all, are sleeping on the hill.

-Masters, Edgar Lee

The artist, like the idiot or clown, sits on the edge of the world, and a push may send him over it.

-Sitwell, Sir (Francis) Osbert

clown quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"clown." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/clown>

APA Style

clown. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/clown

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