C17: of Scandinavian origin; related to Old Norse lōmr
loon in British English2
(luːn)
noun
1. informal
an unintelligent person
2. Northeast Scotland dialect
a lad
3. archaic
a person of low rank or occupation (esp in the phrase lord and loon)
Word origin
C15: origin obscure
loon in American English1
(lun)
noun
any of an order (Gaviiformes) of fish-eating, diving birds, with a sharp bill and webbed feet, found mainly in subarctic regions: noted for its weird cry
Word origin
altered (by assoc. with loon2) < earlier loom < ON lomr < IE echoic base *lā- > L latrare, to bark
loon in American English2
(lun)
noun
1.
a clumsy, stupid person
2.
a crazy person
3. Scottish
a.
a boy
b.
a harlot
4. Archaic
a.
a person of low rank
b.
a rogue
Word origin
Scot lown, loun < ME lowen < ? or akin to MDu loen
Examples of 'loon' in a sentence
loon
A pair of tight-fitting velvet loon pants?
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Top Ten show, this documentary does not just laugh at the loon pants.