clown
UK[klaʊn]US[klaʊn]
n
A performer, especially in a circus, who wears funny clothes and makeup and does silly things to make people laugh.
n
A person who acts in a silly or foolish way, often to amuse others.
v
To act in a silly or foolish way, often to amuse people.
Etymology
The word 'clown' has a murky origin, likely entering English in the mid-16th century from a Low German or Scandinavian source meaning a clumsy, boorish, or rustic fellow. This original sense of an unsophisticated countryman was directly applied to the stock character of the foolish rustic in early English comedy and drama. Over time, the character's purpose to provoke laughter became central, and the term evolved to describe the professional comic performer, especially in the circus, whose defining traits are exaggerated silliness and humor, shedding most of its original connotations of simple rusticity.
Analysis
The word 'clown' is a simplex word. It is a loanword, likely entering English from a Scandinavian or Low German source (e.g., Icelandic klunni meaning "clumsy person" or Frisian klönne). Its core function is as a noun denoting a foolish or comedic performer.
Examples
The children laughed hysterically at the circus clown's antics.
Don't be such a clown; this is a serious meeting.
He loves to clown around with his younger cousins.