any of various outer garments, such as a woman's elegant or formal dress, a dressing robe, or a protective garment, esp one worn by surgeons during operations
2.
a loose wide garment indicating status, such as worn by academics
3.
the members of a university as opposed to the other residents of the university town
Compare town (sense 7)
verb
4. (transitive)
to supply with or dress in a gown
Word origin
C14: from Old French goune, from Late Latin gunna garment made of leather or fur, of Celtic origin