clown

• n. 小醜；鄉下人；粗魯笨拙的人
• vi. 扮小醜；裝傻

可能來自clod,大塊，笨拙。

clown

clown: [16] Clown’s antecedents are obscure. Its earliest recorded sense is ‘unsophisticated or boorish country fellow’, which has led to speculation that it may come ultimately from Latin colonus ‘colonist, farmer’ (residence in the country often being associated with backwardness or lack of sophistication, as in the case heathen and pagan). Others, however, see a more direct source in a Germanic language from the Low Countries or Scandinavia: North Frisian klönne and Icelandic klunni, both meaning ‘clumsy person’, have been compared.

clown (n.)

1560s, clowne, also cloyne, "rustic, boor, peasant," origin uncertain. Perhaps from Scandinavian dialect (compare Icelandic klunni "clumsy, boorish fellow;" Swedish kluns "a hard knob; a clumsy fellow," Danish klunt "log, block"), or akin to North Frisian klönne "clumsy person." Or, less likely, from Latin colonus "colonist, farmer," though awareness of this word might have influenced the sense development in English.

Meaning "professional fool, professional or habitual jester" is c. 1600. "The pantomime clown represents a blend of the Shakes[pearean] rustic with one of the stock types of the It. comedy" [Weekley]. Meaning "contemptible person" is from 1920s. Fem. form clowness attested from 1801.

clown (v.)

c. 1600, "to play the clown onstage," from clown (n.); colloquial sense of "to behave inappropriately" (as in clown around, 1932) attested by 1928, perhaps from theatrical slang sense of "play a (non-comical) part farcically or comically" (1891). Related: Clowned; clowning.

1. He was laughing, the clown of the twosome.

他在笑，二人搭檔中逗人樂的那個。

來自柯林斯例句

2. The moment the clown appeared on stage, the audience folded up.

小醜一出現在舞台上, 觀眾們個個笑得前俯後仰.

來自《簡明英漢詞典》

3. The star clown was considered a master of witty banter.

那醜星被認為是個逗樂子的好手.

來自《簡明英漢詞典》

4. Each clown capped the last joke of the other.

醜角的笑話一個比一個好.

來自《簡明英漢詞典》

5. The boy plays the clown to get attention.

那男孩作出滑稽的動作以便引人注意.

來自《簡明英漢詞典》