gownsman en · NOUN
Etymology
From gown + -s- + man.
Meanings
-
One whose professional habit is a gown, such as a divine, a lawyer, or a member of certain English universities.
The two gownsmen lowered the rigid body. It lay straight as a board, supported by no more than its head on the chair-back, and its heels on the ground.
1950, Mervyn Peake, Gormenghast, London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, →OCLC:
- (archaic) A civilian, in distinction from a soldier.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| gownman | alternative | lexicographic | |
| gownsmen | Number=Plur | lexicographic |