rowan - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

A European rowan

Originally Scots and northern English, from Middle English ron, rone, compare also Northern English raan, ran. At first referring to its fruits, of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse reynir.

Also related to Norwegian Bokmål rogn, Danish røn. Ultimately related to the root of red.

rowan (plural rowans)

  1. Sorbus aucuparia, the European rowan.
    Synonyms: mountain ash, quickbeam, wicken, wicky
  2. Any of various small deciduous trees or shrubs of genus Sorbus, belonging to the rose family, with pinnate leaves, corymbs of white flowers, and usually with orange-red berries.
  3. (obsolete) wych-elm, Ulmus glabra.

Sorbus aucuparia

tree or shrub of the genus Sorbus

Translations to be checked

rowan (plural rowans)

  1. Alternative form of rowen (“aftermath”).

rowan (countable and uncountable, plural rowans)

  1. (Scotland) Dated form of roving (“an elongate bundle of fiber”).

rowan (countable and uncountable, plural rowans)

  1. (archaic, Northern England, Scotland, Ireland) Alternative form of rown (“fish-eggs”).

From Proto-West Germanic *rōan (“to row”).

rōwan

  1. to row (with oars etc.)