Dictionary

rowan en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈɹaʊ.ən/ (Northern-England, Scotland)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈɹəʊ.ən/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈɹaʊ.ən/ (US, uncommon)
• /ˈɹaʊ.ən/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈɹoʊ.ən/ (US)

Etymology

Originally Scots and northern English, from Middle English ron, rone, compare also Northern English raan, ran. At first referring to its fruits, of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse reynir. Also related to Norwegian Bokmål rogn, Danish røn. Ultimately related to the root of red.

Meanings

1. Sorbus aucuparia, the European rowan.
   • Among the pines grew rowans hung with scarlet berries, and bilberry bushes whose leaves would be fair game for white moth caterpillars in spring. 2020 February 25, Christopher de Bellaigue, “The end of farming?”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 06 Jan 2026:
2. Any of various small deciduous trees or shrubs of genus Sorbus, belonging to the rose family, with pinnate leaves, corymbs of white flowers, and usually with orange-red berries.
3. (obsolete) wych-elm, Ulmus glabra.

Forms

Deriveds

rowanberry · flying rowan

Synonyms

wicky · wicken · mountain ash · quickbeam

Translations (123)

ba миләш (Sorbus aucuparia) · alt беле (Sorbus aucuparia) · is reyniberjatré (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · ga caorthann (Sorbus aucuparia) · uk гороби́на звича́йна (Sorbus aucuparia) · pt cornogodinho (Sorbus aucuparia) · pl jarzębina (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · ca servera (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · wa håvurna (Sorbus aucuparia) · ca moixera de guilla (Sorbus aucuparia) · fr sorbier des oiseleurs (Sorbus aucuparia) · it sorbo (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · izh pihlaja (Sorbus aucuparia) · lv parastais pīlādzis (Sorbus aucuparia) · sh jarebika (Sorbus aucuparia) · lv sērmūkslis (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · lt šermukšnis (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · ky четин (Sorbus aucuparia) · it sorbo degli uccellatori (Sorbus aucuparia) · vi thanh hương trà (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · non reynir (Sorbus aucuparia) · gd caora-caorainn (Sorbus aucuparia) · ba мышар (Sorbus aucuparia) · pt sorveira (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · sq vadhë e egër (Sorbus aucuparia) · gl raño (Sorbus aucuparia) · nl lijsterbes (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · sv rönn (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · ja セイヨウナナカマド (Sorbus aucuparia) · gl cornabude (Sorbus aucuparia) · fr sorbier (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · ar غُبَيْرَاء (Sorbus aucuparia) · fi kotipihlaja (Sorbus aucuparia) · bg самодивско дърво (Sorbus aucuparia) · hy արոսենի (Sorbus aucuparia) · nb rogn (Sorbus aucuparia) · bg офика (Sorbus aucuparia) · fo roynitræ (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · pl jarząb (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · el σουρβιά των πτηνοθήρων (Sorbus aucuparia) · pl jarzębina (Sorbus aucuparia) · alt беле (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · gl sorbeira (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · ko 유럽마가목 (Sorbus aucuparia) · ro scoruș-de-munte (Sorbus aucuparia) · udm горд палэзь (Sorbus aucuparia) · fa جیلان (Sorbus aucuparia) · da røn (Sorbus aucuparia) · tr üvez (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · ja ナナカマド (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · ka ცირცელი (Sorbus aucuparia) · lv pīlādzis (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · gl canfreixo (Sorbus aucuparia) · nl wilde lijsterbes (Sorbus aucuparia) · eo sorparbo (Sorbus aucuparia) · el σορβιά (Sorbus aucuparia) · cs jeřáb (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · be рабі́на (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · ca server (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · da røn (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · et harilik pihlakas (Sorbus aucuparia) · mns-nor пася̄рйив (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · gl capudre (Sorbus aucuparia) · smn pihlájâš (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · ky четин (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · fo royniviður (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · fi pihlaja (Sorbus aucuparia) · gd caorann (Sorbus aucuparia) · hu madárberkenye (Sorbus aucuparia) · is reynir (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · gl sorba (Sorbus aucuparia) · is reynitré (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · fi pihlaja (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · pl jarząb pospolity (Sorbus aucuparia) · ru ряби́на обыкнове́нная (Sorbus aucuparia) · gd caorann (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · be рабіна звычайная (Sorbus aucuparia) · la ornus (Sorbus aucuparia) · es azarollo (Sorbus aucuparia) · gl cancereixo (Sorbus aucuparia) · udm палэзь (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · el σόρβον (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · gl sorbeira (Sorbus aucuparia) · sl jerebika (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · uk гороби́на (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · et pihlakas (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · kk шетен (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · ru ряби́на (Sorbus aucuparia) · ja ナナカマド属 (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · hu berkenye (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · tr kuş üvezi (Sorbus aucuparia) · da almindelig røn (Sorbus aucuparia) · cy criafol (Sorbus aucuparia) · fa بارانک (Sorbus aucuparia) · es serbal de los cazadores (Sorbus aucuparia) · izh rebinapuu (Sorbus aucuparia) · axm սին (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · ba мышар (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · sv rönn (Sorbus aucuparia) · pt tramazeira (Sorbus aucuparia) · sk jarabina (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · nn raun (Sorbus aucuparia) · kk шетен (Sorbus aucuparia) · de Mehlbeere (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · smn pihlejâš (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · cs jeřáb ptačí (Sorbus aucuparia) · fr alisier (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · nl gewone lijsterbes (Sorbus aucuparia) · myv пизёл (Sorbus aucuparia) · ru ряби́на (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · ba миләш (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · br kerzhin-evned (Sorbus aucuparia) · ar غُبَيْرَاء أُورُوبِّيَّة (Sorbus aucuparia) · fa تیس (Sorbus aucuparia) · ro scoruș-păsăresc (Sorbus aucuparia) · lt aprastasis šermukšnis (Sorbus aucuparia) · ca moixera (tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus) · lv pucene (Sorbus aucuparia) · is ilmreynir (Sorbus aucuparia) · de Vogelbeere (Sorbus aucuparia) · nn rogn (Sorbus aucuparia) · de Eberesche (Sorbus aucuparia) · da rønnebærtræ (Sorbus aucuparia)

rowan en · NOUN · etymology 2

Meanings

1. (alt-of, alternative) Alternative form of rowen (“aftermath”).
   alt of rowen

Forms

rowan en · NOUN · etymology 3

Meanings

1. (Scotland, alt-of, countable, dated, uncountable) Dated form of roving (“an elongate bundle of fiber”).
   alt of roving

Forms

rowan en · NOUN · etymology 4

Meanings

1. (Ireland, Northern-England, Scotland, alt-of, alternative, archaic, countable, uncountable) Alternative form of rown (“fish-eggs”).
   alt of rown

Forms

Relateds

Sorbus subg. Sorbus