# cowan

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈkəʊən/ · frequency rank #22,940

## Definitions
1. A worker in unmortared stone; a stonemason who has not served an apprenticeship.
2. A person who attempts to pass himself off as a Freemason without having experienced the rituals or going through the degrees.
3. A sneak; an inquisitive or prying person.
4. Uninitiated, outside, “profane”.

## Etymology
First attested in 1598.

## Easily confused with
- **cows** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cowan-vs-cows)
- **cowl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cowan-vs-cowl)
- **cyan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cowan-vs-cyan)
- **crown** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cowan-vs-crown)
- **Cuban** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cowan-vs-cuban)
- **cower** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cowan-vs-cower)
- **coward** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cowan-vs-coward)
- **can** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/can-vs-cowan)
- **con** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/con-vs-cowan)
- **cow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cow-vs-cowan)
- **coa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coa-vs-cowan)
- **coal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coal-vs-cowan)
- **coat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coat-vs-cowan)
- **coin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coin-vs-cowan)
- **corn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/corn-vs-cowan)
- **chan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/chan-vs-cowan)
- **clan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/clan-vs-cowan)
- **cola** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/cola-vs-cowan)
- **coma** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coma-vs-cowan)
- **coca** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/coca-vs-cowan)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ccowan`, `coawn`, `cowann`, `cowna`, `cowwan`, `cwoan`, `ocwan`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cowan