Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
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noun
A slapstick performance artist often associated with a circus and usually characterized by bright, oversized clothing, a red nose, face paint, and a brightly colored wig.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A person who acts in a silly fashion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: buffoon
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A stupid person.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A man of coarse nature and manners; an awkward fellow; an illbred person; a boor.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
One who works upon the soil; a rustic; a churl; a yokel.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A clownfish.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To act in a silly or playful fashion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To ridicule, make fun of.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Qualifier: African-American Vernacular
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: clown on
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a person who amuses others by ridiculous behavior
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: buffoon, goof, goofball, merry andrew
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: comedian, comic
Narrower terms: harlequin, jester, fool, motley fool, whiteface, zany, Kelly, Emmett Kelly, Weary Willie
noun
a rude or vulgar fool
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: buffoon
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: fool, sap, saphead, muggins, tomfool
Narrower terms: Pantaloon
verb
act as or like a clown
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: clown around, antic
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: joke, jest
History
From earlier clowne, cloyne (“man of rustic or coarse manners, boor, peasant”); likely of North Germanic origin, akin to Icelandic klunni (“clumsy fellow, klutz”), Swedish kluns (“clumsy fellow”), all from Middle Low German klunz, from klunt (“pile, lump, something thick”); according to Pokorny, this could be related to a group of Germanic derivatives of Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to ball up; amass”), such as Proto-West Germanic *klott (“lump”), Proto-Germanic *klūtaz (“clod, lump”), *kultaz (“lump, bundle”), etc. Alternatively, directly from Low German (compare North Frisian klönne (“clumsy fellow, klutz”), Dutch kluns (“clumsy fellow, klutz”), Dutch kloen (“uncouth person, lout”)), themselves from the same ultimate source as above. Unlikely from Latin colōnus (“colonist, farmer”), although learned awareness of this term may have influenced semantic development.
Across languages
238 source translations are retained for this English entry.
