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fawn¹ Definition

fawn (fôn)

intransitive verb

  1. to show friendliness by licking hands, wagging its tail, etc.: said of a dog
  2. to try to gain favor by acting servilely; cringe and flatter courtiers fawning on a king
  3. to show affection in a solicitous or exaggerated way: usually with over

Etymology: ME faunen < OE fagnian < fagen, var. of fægen: see fain

fawn¹ Related Forms
fawner noun fawn·ingly adverb
fawn² Definition

fawn (fôn)

noun

  1. a young deer less than one year old
  2. a pale, yellowish brown

Etymology: ME < OFr faon, feon < LL *feto (gen. *fetonis), young animal, child < L fetus: see fetus

adjective

of this color

intransitive verb, transitive verb

to bring forth (young): said of a deer

fawn Synonyms

fawn

v.

cringe, flatter, court, grovel, crouch, bow, stoop, kneel, creep, fall on one's knees, curry favor, toady, truckle, kowtow; see also grovel.

fawn Usage Examples

Object

  • magazine: Anorak pokes fun every weekday at Britain's infamous tabloids, haughty broadsheets and fawning society magazines.. .
  • courtier: It was so ludicrous it made you think of Mel Brooks or Monty Python playing a scene of monstrous king and fawning courtiers.
  • letter: Months later, on October 7, 1996, he will receive a guilty, fawning letter from McVeigh's lawyer Steven Jones.

Converse of object

  • allow: Females do not always allow other fawns to suckle, often they behave aggressively toward them.

Preposition: at

  • foot: But that is no excuse for reporters fawning at the feet of the first tory leader to show signs of electability.

Adjective modifier

  • pinkish: Nose leather, eye rims & paw pads pinkish fawn.
  • own: Allosuckling was only successful if the female's own fawn was already sucking.
  • other: Females do not always allow other fawns to suckle, often they behave aggressively toward them.
  • light: The color is usually a dark brown shading to light fawn.
  • young: Description: In Kingdom Hearts, Bambi is a sweet, young fawn, not yet matured into the king of the forest.
  • pale: Body: Cream, deepening to pale warm fawn on the back.

Modifies a noun

  • female: Lot 32A, flax fawn female with mid brown calf at foot, 4,000gns to Gilmour Bank Alpacas.
  • color: It comes on a good quality fawn color leather strap with polished steel pin buckle.
  • cattle: There is no significant difference between light brown and fawn cattle.
  • silver: Silver Abyssinians are a separate group which includes black silver, blue silver, fawn silver and sorrel silver.
  • band: It owes its name to a fawn band across its chest.
  • bitch: It was 1984 when the National Great Dane Rescue told me that they had a fawn bitch for adoption.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • upon: And if you are a disciple and become a teacher, don't allow yourself to be uncritically fawned upon.
  • over: Not something that is going to be put in an art gallery, and fawned over by the many critics in this world.

Preposition: in

  • color: The bones tended to be in a fair state of preservation, rounded, and were fawn in color.
fawn Quotes

She's like a delicate fawn, crossed with a Buick.

—Nicholson, Bill

Browse dictionary entries near fawn

  1. Fawkes
  2. favus
  3. favour
  4. favoritism
  5. favorite son
  6. favorite
  7. favored
  8. favorably
  9. favorable
  10. favor
  1. fawn lily
  2. fawner
  3. fawning
  4. fax
  5. fax emulation
  6. fax-on-demand
  7. Fax over Internet Protocol
  8. fax relay
  9. fax spoofing
  10. fay