Gouk
Preserved but no longer current.
Also seen as: Gowk
Meaning · English
The cuckoo (from IceL gaukr); hence, a fool, a simpleton, Hunting the gowk is making one an April fool. See APRIL.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Gouk” mean?
The cuckoo (from IceL gaukr); hence, a fool, a simpleton, Hunting the gowk is making one an April fool. See APRIL.
Is “Gouk” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.