dinner gown
- noun
- /ˈdɪnər ɡaʊn/
- Formal
:
vestido de gala
- For the gala, he insisted that she wear her most beautiful dinner gown.
Examples
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The men were all dressed like he was, and the women all had elegant, glittering dinner gowns and lavish diamond jewelry.
Blog text (34) -
She wore a stunning dinner gown for the formal charity event last night.
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The ballroom was filled with people in elegant dinner gowns and tuxedos.
Synonyms
333
1.0
Clothes of a particular style or for a special occasion
192
2.5
A long formal robe like those worn at graduations or in court
16
5.5
A woman's or girl's one-piece dress with a skirt and fitted top
12
2.7
A long formal dress that women wear to evening parties or special events
8
3.5
A long formal dress worn by women to very special events like balls
7
3.4
A formal dress worn by women for evening events
5
6.1
A close-fitting dress for women with a straight, narrow shape for formal events
3
3.8
Clothes worn for formal evening events, like a suit or long dress
3
3.6
Clothes for special events in the evening, like suits or long dresses
2
3.1
A dress made of soft velvet worn for special occasions
1
4.2
Clothes worn for formal evening events like dinners or parties
1
4.1
A long elegant dress that women wear to formal dances
1
2.7
A formal, stylish dress worn for special events
A formal long gown worn to evening events like dinners
A smooth, close-fitting outfit that looks elegant and modern
A formal dress made of silk for special occasions
A formal dress a woman wears to a ball or gala
How Formal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'dinner' (an evening meal/event) specifies the occasion for the 'gown' (a long formal garment), so a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer a formal dress worn for evening/dinner occasions. This noun–noun attributive pattern is common in English and parallels constructions in many other languages, supporting immediate transparency.
Etymology
Dinner gown comes from a simple image: a long, elegant gown worn to a special dinner, like a grand evening meal. So dinner gown today means 'a formal dress worn for evening occasions'.