FAWN

fawn

(noun) a young deer

dun, greyish brown, grayish brown, fawn

(noun) a color or pigment varying around a light grey-brown color; “she wore dun”

fawn

(verb) have fawns; “deer fawn”

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

(verb) try to gain favor by cringing or flattering; “He is always kowtowing to his boss”

fawn, crawl, creep, cringe, cower, grovel

(verb) show submission or fear

Source: WordNet® 3.1

---

Etymology 1

Noun

fawn (plural fawns)

A young deer.

A pale brown colour tinted with yellow, like that of a fawn.

(obsolete) The young of an animal; a whelp.

Adjective

fawn (not comparable)

Of the fawn colour.

Verb

fawn (third-person singular simple present fawns, present participle fawning, simple past and past participle fawned)

(intransitive) To give birth to a fawn.

Etymology 2

Verb

fawn (third-person singular simple present fawns, present participle fawning, simple past and past participle fawned)

(intransitive) To exhibit affection or attempt to please.

(intransitive) To seek favour by flattery and obsequious behaviour (with on or upon).

Synonyms: grovel, wheedle, soft-soap, toady

(intransitive, of a dog) To show devotion or submissiveness by wagging its tail, nuzzling, licking, etc.

Noun

fawn (plural fawns)

(rare) A servile cringe or bow.

Base flattery.

Source: Wiktionary

---

Fawn, n. Etym: [OF. faon the young one of any beast, a fawn, F. faon a fawn, for fedon, fr. L. fetus. See Fetus.]

1. (Zoöl.)

Definition: A young deer; a buck or doe of the first year. See Buck.

2. The young of an animal; a whelp. [Obs.] [The tigress] . . . followeth . . . after her fawns. Holland.

3. A fawn color.

Fawn, a.

Definition: Of the color of a fawn; fawn-colored.

Fawn, v. i. Etym: [Cf. F. faonner.]

Definition: To bring forth a fawn.

Fawn, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fawned; p. pr. & vb. n. Fawning.] Etym: [OE. fawnen, fainen, fagnien, to rejoice, welcome, flatter, AS. fægnian to rejoice; akin to Icel. fagna to rejoice, welcome. See Fain.]

Definition: To court favor by low cringing, frisking, etc., as a dog; to flatter meanly; -- often followed by on or upon. You showed your teeth like apes, and fawned like hounds. Shak. Thou with trembling fear, Or like a fawning parasite, obeyest. Milton. Courtiers who fawn on a master while they betray him. Macaulay.

Fawn, n.

Definition: A servile cringe or bow; mean flattery; sycophancy. Shak.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

---