FAWN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does fawn mean? 

• FAWN (noun)
  The noun FAWN has 2 senses:

1. a color or pigment varying around a light grey-brown color

2. a young deer

  Familiarity information: FAWN used as a noun is rare.

• FAWN (verb)
  The verb FAWN has 3 senses:

1. show submission or fear

2. try to gain favor by cringing or flattering

3. have fawns

  Familiarity information: FAWN used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FAWN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A color or pigment varying around a light grey-brown color

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

dun; fawn; grayish brown; greyish brown

Context example:

she wore dun

Hypernyms ("fawn" is a kind of...):

light brown (a brown that is light but unsaturated)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A young deer

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("fawn" is a kind of...):

young mammal (any immature mammal)

cervid; deer (distinguished from Bovidae by the male's having solid deciduous antlers)

Derivation:

fawn (have fawns)

• FAWN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they fawn    ... he / she / it fawns   
Past simple: fawned   
Past participle: fawned   
-ing form: fawning   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Show submission or fear

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

cower; crawl; creep; cringe; fawn; grovel

Hypernyms (to "fawn" is one way to...):

bend; flex (form a curve)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

fawner (someone who humbles himself as a sign of respect; who behaves as if he had no self-respect)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Try to gain favor by cringing or flattering

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

bootlick; fawn; kotow; kowtow; suck up; toady; truckle

Context example:

He is always kowtowing to his boss

Hypernyms (to "fawn" is one way to...):

blandish; flatter (praise somewhat dishonestly)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "fawn"):

court favor; court favour; curry favor; curry favour (seek favor by fawning or flattery)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue fawn

Derivation:

fawner (someone who humbles himself as a sign of respect; who behaves as if he had no self-respect)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Have fawns

Classified under:

Verbs of grooming, dressing and bodily care

Context example:

deer fawn

Hypernyms (to "fawn" is one way to...):

bear; birth; deliver; give birth; have (cause to be born)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

fawn (a young deer)

 Context examples 

It has short, erect ears and a short-haired coat that is fawn to red to mahogany with black tips, mask, and ears.

(Belgian Malinois, NCI Thesaurus)

Of this last Buck was never guilty, though he did see beaten dogs that fawned upon the man, and wagged their tails, and licked his hand.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

The short soft coat comes in shades of fawn to mahogany with a black or red mask and may have white markings on the tips of the toes and chest.

(Dogue-de-Bordeaux, NCI Thesaurus)

It has a short, slightly rough coat that comes in brindle, fawn, or red, often with black markings on the head.

(Bullmastiff, NCI Thesaurus)

This steel-wool hair comes in black, fawn, gray, or brindle.

(Bouviers Des Flandres, NCI Thesaurus)

The coat comes in red, fawn, brindle, pale yellow or washed-out red, or white.

(Bulldog, NCI Thesaurus)

A moment afterwards, he was as fawning and as humble as ever.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

When I came in he ran to me and said he wanted to ask me a great favour—a very, very great favour; and as he spoke he fawned on me like a dog.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

The reins and fittings were of a light fawn colour, and the gentleman had a driving-coat to match, with a servant in dark livery behind.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Colors include fawn, sand, chestnut, silver and steel blue, black, tan and parti-color.

(Chihuahua, NCI Thesaurus)