noun
gowan
GOH-uhn
noun
1
A daisy, especially the common daisy — a term still used in Scottish and northern English dialect.
"The children picked gowans from the meadow to make a chain."
"Old Scots poems often mention gowans nodding in the summer wind."
2
Decomposed or crumbled granite, as used in some regional building and geological contexts.
"The old wall was built from local gowan rather than quarried stone."
How to Use Gowan
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn old Scots word for a daisy.
Memory tip
You will mostly meet this word in Scottish poetry or dialect rather than everyday speech.
Trace the full origin ↓Word Forms
gowans plural, Gowans plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “gowan”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The children picked _____ from the meadow to make a chain.
Etymology
A Scots dialect word, ultimately from Scottish Gaelic, whose deeper roots are uncertain.