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fawn

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fawn¹

  • /fɔːn/ UK
  • /foːn/ Australia, British, New Zealand
  • /fɔn/ US
  • /fɑn/ US, cot caught merger
  • /fɒn/ Canada
  • /fɔn/ Scotland

Sounds like faun, thorn (non-rhotic, th-fronting) · Rhymes with -ɔːn

Where it comes from

From Middle English fawne, fowne, foun, from Old French faon, foon, feon, from Vulgar Latin *fētōnem, from Latin fētus (“offspring, young”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁(y)- (“to suckle, nurse”). Displaced native Old English hindċealf (literally “deer calf”). Doublet of fetus.

noun fawns

  1. A young deer. The city recently carried out a deer census, determining there are 313 stags (males), 798 does (females) and 214 fawns (babies) in Nara Park.

    Similar: deerling

  2. A pale brown colour tinted with yellow, like that of a fawn.
  3. obsolete The young of an animal; a whelp. she [the tigress] rageth upon the shore and the sands, for the losse of her fawnes

adjective

  1. not comparable Of the fawn colour.

verb fawns · fawning · fawned

  1. intransitive To give birth to a fawn.

fawn²

  • /fɔːn/ UK
  • /foːn/ Australia, British, New Zealand
  • /fɔn/ US
  • /fɑn/ US, cot caught merger
  • /fɒn/ Canada
  • /fɔn/ Scotland

Sounds like faun, thorn (non-rhotic, th-fronting) · Rhymes with -ɔːn

Where it comes from

From Middle English fawnen, from Old English fagnian, alternative form of fæġnian (“to celebrate”), whence Middle English fainen, English fain. Cognate with Old Norse fagna. See also fain.

verb fawns · fawning · fawned

  1. intransitive, of a dog To show devotion or submissiveness by wagging its tail, nuzzling, licking, etc.
  2. broadly, figuratively, intransitive To exhibit affection toward someone.
  3. broadly, figuratively, intransitive To attempt to please someone.
  4. broadly, derogatory, figuratively, intransitive To seek favour by flattery and obsequious behaviour. You showed your teeth like apes, and fawned like hounds.

    Similar: grovel, wheedle, soft-soap, toady, apple-polish, bootlick, bow and scrape, brown-nose, butter up, dickride, duchess, fawn

noun fawns

  1. intransitive, rare A servile cringe or bow.
  2. intransitive Base flattery.

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: dun, suck up, truckle, crawl, kotow, kowtow, grovel, creep, cringe, cower, bootlick, toady, grayish brown, greyish brown, vinaceous, dote

Translations

Every language

noun young deer

Españolcervatillo, cervato, gabato
한국어새끼사슴 saekkisaseum
日本語子鹿 kojika
中文小鹿 xiǎolù, 麛 mí
Portuguêscorço
Françaisfaon
DeutschDamkalb, Hirschkalb, Rehkitz
Italianocerbiatto
Ελληνικάελαφάκι elafáki
Românăied
Русскийоленёнок olenjónok
Tiếng Việtnai con
العربيةشَادِن šādin, رِيم rīm
עבריתעֹפֶר ófer

noun colour

Españolbeis, marrón claro
日本語淡黄褐色 tan'ōkasshoku
中文淡黃褐色 /淡黄褐色 dànhuáng hésè
Portuguêsfulvo
Deutschhellbraun, beigebraun, dunkelblond
Italianofulvo chiaro, marrone chiaro
Românăcafeniu
Русскийжелтовато-кори́чневый želtovato-koríčnevyj, па́левый pálevyj

noun young of an animal

DeutschJunge

adj pertaining to the colour

Portuguêsfulvo
Deutschbeige, rehbraun
Italianofulvo
Românăcafeniu

verb to show devotion or submissiveness

Españolhacer carantoñas
Deutschschwanzwedeln, schwänzeln
Italianoscodinzolare, fare le feste
Românăgudura

verb to exhibit affection

Españolhacer fiestas a
Portuguêsagradar
Deutschanhimmeln
Italianodimostrare affetto
Românăalinta, răsfăța
Русскийласка́ться laskátʹsja, ла́ститься lástitʹsja

verb to seek favour by flattery

Españoladular a, lisonjear a
中文拍馬屁 /拍马屁 pāi mǎpì, 拍馬 /拍马 pāimǎ
Portuguêspuxar saco, bajular, adular
Françaisramper, flagorner
Deutschschmeicheln
Italianoadulare, essere servile, leccare
Românălinguși, flata, măguli
Русскийлебези́ть lebezítʹ, подли́зываться podlízyvatʹsja, подхали́мничать podxalímničatʹ, заи́скивать zaískivatʹ, уго́дничать ugódničatʹ
العربيةتَزَلَّفَ tazallafa, تَمَلَّقَ tamallaqa

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MLA

"fawn." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/fawn. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

fawn. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/fawn

Chicago

"fawn." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/fawn.

BibTeX
@misc{fawn_2026,
  title = {fawn},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/fawn},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}