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Webster 1913 Edition


Fawn

Fawn

(fa̤n)
,
Noun.
[OF.
faon
the young one of any beast, a fawn, F.
faon
a fawn, for
fedon
, fr. L.
fetus
. See
Fetus
.]
1.
(Zool.)
A young deer; a buck or doe of the first year. See
Buck
.
2.
The young of an animal; a whelp.
[Obs.]
[The tigress] . . . followeth . . . after her
fawns
.
Holland.
3.
A fawn color.

Fawn

,
Adj.
Of the color of a fawn; fawn-colored.

Fawn

,
Verb.
I.
[Cf. F.
faonner
.]
To bring forth a fawn.

Fawn

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Fawned
(fa̤nd)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Fawning
.]
[OE.
fawnen
,
fainen
,
fagnien
, to rejoice, welcome, flatter, AS.
fægnian
to rejoice; akin to Icel.
fagna
to rejoice, welcome. See
Fain
.]
To court favor by low cringing, frisking, etc., as a dog; to flatter meanly; – often followed by
on
or
upon
.
You showed your teeth like apes, and
fawned
like hounds.
Shakespeare
Thou with trembling fear,
Or like a
fawning
parasite, obeyest.
Milton.
Courtiers who
fawn
on a master while they betray him.
Macaulay.

Fawn

,
Noun.
A servile cringe or bow; mean flattery; sycophancy.
Shak.

Webster 1828 Edition


Fawn

FAWN

,
Noun.
A young deer; a buck or doe of the first year.

FAWN

,
Verb.
I.
To bring forth a fawn.

FAWN

,
Verb.
I.
[See Fain.]
1.
To court favor, or show attachment to, by frisking about one; as, a dog fawns on his master.
2.
To soothe; to flatter meanly; to blandish; to court servilely; to cringe and bow to gain favor; as a fawning favorite or minion.
My love, forbear to fawn upon their frowns.

FAWN

,
Noun.
A servile cringe or bow; mean flattery.

Definition 2024


fawn

fawn

English

A fawn.

Noun

fawn (plural fawns)

  1. A young deer.
  2. A pale brown colour tinted with yellow, like that of a fawn.
    fawn colour:    
  3. (obsolete) The young of an animal; a whelp.
    • Holland
      [The tigress] [] followeth [] after her fawns.
Translations

Adjective

fawn (not comparable)

  1. Of the fawn colour.
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

fawn (third-person singular simple present fawns, present participle fawning, simple past and past participle fawned)

  1. (intransitive) To give birth to a fawn.

Etymology 2

From Middle English fawnen, from Old English fahnian, fagnian, fæġnian (to rejoice, make glad)[1]. Akin to Old Norse fagna (to rejoice)[2]. See also fain.

Verb

fawn (third-person singular simple present fawns, present participle fawning, simple past and past participle fawned)

  1. (intransitive) To exhibit affection or attempt to please.
  2. (intransitive) To seek favour by flattery and obsequious behaviour (with on or upon).
    • Shakespeare
      You showed your teeth like apes, and fawned like hounds.
    • Milton
      Thou with trembling fear, / Or like a fawning parasite, obeyest.
    • Macaulay
      courtiers who fawn on a master while they betray him
    • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 2, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
      That the young Mr. Churchills liked—but they did not like him coming round of an evening and drinking weak whisky-and-water while he held forth on railway debentures and corporation loans. Mr. Barrett, however, by fawning and flattery, seemed to be able to make not only Mrs. Churchill but everyone else do what he desired.
  3. (intransitive, of a dog) To wag its tail, to show devotion.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations

See also

  • Appendix:Colors

References

  1. James A. H. Murray [et al.], editor (1884–1928), “fawn”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), London: Clarendon Press, OCLC 15566697.
  2. fawn in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Welsh

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [vau̯n]

Verb

fawn

  1. Soft mutation of bawn.