clown

clown¹ [klaun] n

[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: Perhaps from French coulon 'someone who settles in a new country', from Latin colonus; COLONY]

1.) someone who wears funny clothes, a red nose, bright ↑make-up on their face etc, and does silly things to make people laugh, especially at a ↑circus

2.) someone who often makes jokes or behaves in a funny way

▪ Frankie's a bit of a clown.

class clown

(=someone in a school class who behaves in a funny or silly way)

3.) a stupid or annoying person

▪ I can't understand what she sees in that clown.

clown ²

clown² also clown around/about v [I]

to behave in a silly or funny way

▪ Stop clowning around!