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evening gown

evening gown

16 2.7
A long formal dress that women wear to evening parties or special events
  • noun
  • /ˈiːv.nɪŋ ɡaʊn/
: vestido de noche
  • She was stunning in her elegant evening gown at the gala last night.
  • wear evening gowns
  • strapless evening gown
  • black evening gown

And dance their own version of nude mesh for, you know, complicated construction evening gowns.

Examples

  • The guests, of whom there are a couple hundred, in black tie and evening gowns, are entering the receiving area.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Board members, museum patrons, and socialites mill about in dinner jackets and evening gowns, making small talk.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • My mother in an evening gown, going out with one of the men she almost married.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • As Amy enters in a simple yet stunning evening gown.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • I stand before you tonight, in my Red Star chiffon evening gown.

  • In a few minutes, she reappeared in an evening gown.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • With the tuxedos and the evening gowns and everything.

  • Fournet bent over a woman in a peach-colored evening gown.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Sheer and shapely, her evening gown is leaf green at the legs, and at the bust blooms with violet.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Starling, in a décolleté evening gown, stood in front of a perfect presentation of baccarat and Limoges.

    Fiction book (2001)

Synonyms

gown
vsevening gown
206 2.5

A long formal robe like those worn at graduations or in court

is specifically about long formal clothing worn to evening social events
ball gown
vsevening gown
10 3.5

A long formal dress worn by women to very special events like balls

covers evening formal events more widely, not just balls
evening dress
vsevening gown
7 3.4

A formal dress worn by women for evening events

is the same meaning but uses a different word for the same outfit
dinner dress
vsevening gown
  • Formal
1 3.4

A formal long gown worn to evening events like dinners

is broader, applying to evening events beyond dinners
ballgown
vsevening gown
1 4.1

A long elegant dress that women wear to formal dances

applies to evening events in general, not only dance occasions
dinner gown
vsevening gown
  • Formal
1 4.2

A formal dress worn to evening events, especially dinners

is used more broadly for any evening formal event, not only dinners
balldress
vsevening gown
  • Formal
3.9

A formal dress a woman wears to a ball or gala

is for evening events overall, not limited to ball settings

How Formal

ball gown
10 3.5
evening gown
16 2.7

Surface Forms

evening gown singular
evening gowns plural

Morphology

evening + gown

The meaning 'a long, formal dress worn for evening events' is directly and transparently composed from 'evening' (time of night) + 'gown' (a long formal dress). This is a straightforward, compositional noun phrase common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The noun evening gown comes from the simple idea of a long gown worn in the evening for special events; picture a long dress chosen just for night parties. So it means 'a long, formal dress worn for evening events'.