clownery

Variant of clown

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 © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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