Meaning of "clown" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD CLOWN

Perhaps of Low German origin; compare Frisian klönne, Icelandic klunni clumsy fellow.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF CLOWN

clown  [klaʊn]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF CLOWN

Clown is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb clown in English.

WHAT DOES CLOWN MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Clown

A clown is a comic performer who employs slapstick or similar types of physical humour, often in a mime style. Clowns have a varied tradition with significant variations in costume and performance. The most recognisable clowns are those that commonly wear outlandish costumes featuring distinctive makeup, colourful wigs, exaggerated footwear, and colourful clothing. Their entertainment style is generally designed to entertain large audiences, especially at a distance. Clowns are most often associated with the circus where they have performed a comedic role linking other acts in the circus performance since the late 18th century. Many circus clowns have become well known and are a key circus act in their own right. The first mainstream clown role was portrayed by Joseph Grimaldi. In the early 1800s, he expanded the role of Clown in the harlequinade that formed part of British pantomimes, notably at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and the Sadler's Wells and Covent Garden theatres.

Definition of clown in the English dictionary

The first definition of clown in the dictionary is a comic entertainer, usually grotesquely costumed and made up, appearing in the circus. Other definition of clown is any performer who elicits an amused response. Clown is also someone who plays jokes or tricks.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO CLOWN

PRESENT

Present

I clown

you clown

he/she/it clowns

we clown

you clown

they clown

Present continuous

I am clowning

you are clowning

he/she/it is clowning

we are clowning

you are clowning

they are clowning

Present perfect

I have clowned

you have clowned

he/she/it has clowned

we have clowned

you have clowned

they have clowned

Present perfect continuous

I have been clowning

you have been clowning

he/she/it has been clowning

we have been clowning

you have been clowning

they have been clowning

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I clowned

you clowned

he/she/it clowned

we clowned

you clowned

they clowned

Past continuous

I was clowning

you were clowning

he/she/it was clowning

we were clowning

you were clowning

they were clowning

Past perfect

I had clowned

you had clowned

he/she/it had clowned

we had clowned

you had clowned

they had clowned

Past perfect continuous

I had been clowning

you had been clowning

he/she/it had been clowning

we had been clowning

you had been clowning

they had been clowning

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will clown

you will clown

he/she/it will clown

we will clown

you will clown

they will clown

Future continuous

I will be clowning

you will be clowning

he/she/it will be clowning

we will be clowning

you will be clowning

they will be clowning

Future perfect

I will have clowned

you will have clowned

he/she/it will have clowned

we will have clowned

you will have clowned

they will have clowned

Future perfect continuous

I will have been clowning

you will have been clowning

he/she/it will have been clowning

we will have been clowning

you will have been clowning

they will have been clowning

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would clown

you would clown

he/she/it would clown

we would clown

you would clown

they would clown

Conditional continuous

I would be clowning

you would be clowning

he/she/it would be clowning

we would be clowning

you would be clowning

they would be clowning

Conditional perfect

I would have clown

you would have clown

he/she/it would have clown

we would have clown

you would have clown

they would have clown

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been clowning

you would have been clowning

he/she/it would have been clowning

we would have been clowning

you would have been clowning

they would have been clowning

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you clown
we let´s clown
you clown

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to clown

Past participle

clowned

Present Participle

clowning

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «CLOWN»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «clown» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of clown

act the goat · ass · berk · blockhead · bogan · boor · buffoon · clodhopper · comedian · comic · dolt · doofus · dope · eejit · fool · harlequin · hind · idiot · ignoramus · imbecile · jackass · jerk · jest · jester · joker · lamebrain · merry-andrew · mess about · moron · ninny · peasant · play the fool · prankster · prat · putz · swain · thicko · twit · yahoo · yokel

TRANSLATION OF CLOWN

Find out the translation of clown to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of clown from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «clown» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 小丑
• Translator English - Spanish: payaso
• English: clown
• Translator English - Hindi: जोकर
• Translator English - Arabic: مُهَرِّج
• Translator English - Russian: клоун
• Translator English - Portuguese: palhaço
• Translator English - Bengali: চাষা
• Translator English - French: clown
• Translator English - Malay: Badut
• Translator English - German: Clown
• Translator English - Japanese: ピエロ
• Translator English - Korean: 어릿광대
• Translator English - Javanese: Badut
• Translator English - Vietnamese: chú hề
• Translator English - Tamil: கோமாளி
• Translator English - Marathi: जोकर
• Translator English - Turkish: palyaço
• Translator English - Italian: pagliaccio
• Translator English - Polish: klown
• Translator English - Ukrainian: клоун
• Translator English - Romanian: clovn
• Translator English - Greek: κλόουν
• Translator English - Afrikaans: nar
• Translator English - Swedish: clown
• Translator English - Norwegian: klovn

10 QUOTES WITH «CLOWN»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word clown.

1

Patch Adams

The role of a clown and a physician are the same - it's to elevate the possible and to relieve suffering.

2

Patch Adams

Clowning is a trick to get love close. I can hug 99 percent of people in the first second of contact if I'm in my clown character. The clown assumes your humanity. It assumes that, whatever trauma you've had, you can still love yourself.

3

Joaquin Andujar

I tell you what. 85 percent of the sportswriters think I'm stupid or a clown or something. They think I'm crazy.

4

Diora Baird

I've done everything from cater, wait tables, pre-school teacher, painting, to being Cinderella, Elmo, a clown, nanny, selling hair... I would do kid's parties and entertain and do magic and paint faces and balloon animals. The highlight of my life.

5

Simon Baker

As a kid I was always a bit of a clown, a performer.

6

James Van Der Beek

I've always been a clown trapped in a leading man's body.

7

Gina Bellman

Some directors are really strong on action, manhandling you around the set; others are very focused on setting up the camera shots and practically ignore you. You have to get used to introverts, extroverts, directors who clown around for the crew, and the odd one who's monosyllabic.

8

Roberto Benigni

I remember in the circus learning that the clown was the prince, the high prince. I always thought that the high prince was the lion or the magician, but the clown is the most important.

9

Fanny Brice

Being a funny person does an awful lot of things to you. You feel that you mustn't get serious with people. They don't expect it from you, and they don't want to see it. You're not entitled to be serious, you're a clown.

10

Robert Buckley

I remember having friends in high school that did the theater department stuff, and I always wanted to try it but never had the guts to. I was the class clown but could never really build up the courage to try it. I took one acting class and really enjoyed it.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «CLOWN»

Discover the use of clown in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to clown and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

Clown

After being discarded, Clown makes his way through town having a series of adventures as he tries to find a home for himself and his other toy friends.

‎1998

Class Clown

Lucas Cott, the most obstreperous boy in the third grade, finds it very hard to turn over a new leaf when he decides to become the perfect student.

Johanna Hurwitz, 1987

The World's Funniest Clown Skits

Contains 50 hilarious and high-spirited comedy clown skits, each categorized for one, two, three, four or more clowns, that have high audience appeal and are easy to perform.

Barry DeChant, 1995

No Kidding!: Clown as Protagonist in Twentieth-century Theatre

No Kidding!

Donald McManus, 2003

Clown scenes

Recreates forty-eight comedy sketches used by clowns until the mid-twentieth century, and offers brief background information

Tristan Rémy, 1997

Shakespeare's Clown: Actor and Text in the Elizabethan Playhouse

Focusing on the clown Will Kemp, this book shows how Shakespeare and other dramatists wrote specific roles as vehicles for him.

David Wiles, 2005

Killer Clown

The most comprehensive picture of the John Wayne Gacy murder case. Gacy sodomized, tortured, and killed thirty-three young men and boys.

Terry Sullivan, Peter Maiken, 2013

Serious Play: Modern Clown Performance

This is the first book to consider clowning venues and styles in light of play theory, including comparisons of traditional clown comedy and contemporary circuses like Cirque du Soleil.

Louise Peacock, 2009

Jake Drake, Class Clown

Andrew Clements. Miss Bruce sat up straight in her chair. Even without the big glasses, her eyes were plenty scary. She said, “Why... why you little sneak! You were spying on me!” I was glad she was over on the other side of the big table.

Andrew Clements, 2012

Clown Fish

Simple text and photographs present the lives of clown fish.

Carol K. Lindeen, 2004

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «CLOWN»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term clown is used in the context of the following news items.

George Takei Apologizes for Calling Clarence Thomas 'Clown in …

Actor and activist George Takei has apologized for calling US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas "a clown in blackface" in response to ... «NBCNews.com, Jul 15»

Woman Tries To Chase Clown Down An Escalator – But Fails …

As seen in the video, the clown was heading down one escalator while the unsuspecting woman was traveling upwards on the other. Almost ... «The Inquisitr, Jul 15»

Alan Grayson: GOP presidential field a 'clown car…with the possible …

Liberal U.S. Rep. and likely Democratic Senate candidate Alan Grayson says the 2016 Republican presidential field is “a proverbial clown car,” ... «Palm Beach Post, Jul 15»

Wayne Goss: Clown contouring is the latest trend! Watch how to nail it

Clown contouring makes another major entry into the makeup world just when ladies ... Clown Contouring is not the everyday contouring look. «Pulse Nigeria, Jul 15»

Letters: In the presidential-race 3-ring circus, GOP's in the clown car

WITH apologies to Stephen Sondheim: Send in the clowns. There ought to be clowns . . . but wait, they're already here. How many Republican ... «Philly.com, Jul 15»

Participants 'clown around' during Kiddies Parade

Koy Lundvall, 15-months, (center) and his brother Kase, 3, (right) catch a ride from Ty Foss, 11, (left) dressed as a bullfighter as Foss' brother ... «Cody Enterprise, Jul 15»

'Not Serious Politics': Krauthammer Dismisses 'Rodeo Clown …

Syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer ripped into real estate mogul Donald Trump Monday night, dismissing him as a “rodeo clown” and ... «Daily Caller, Jul 15»

Award-winning rodeo clown comes to Gerry

Rockin' Robbie Hodges, who hails from Cave Spring, Georgia, will be bringing his unique style of humor as the clown for the rodeo. His ability ... «WKBW-TV, Jul 15»

Steve Smith has gone from the clown to the king, so will he have the …

Have you heard the one about the Australian who was brought into the Ashes to add a bit of humour to a downhearted dressing room? «Daily Mail, Jul 15»

John Fund: Trump Is 'Not a Clown, But He Is P.T. Barnum'

Donald Trump's defense of his June 16 immigration remarks aimed to clarify how the remarks were reported — but could stir up another ... «Newsmax, Jul 15»