English

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Etymology

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From clown +‎ -ship.

Noun

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clownship (uncountable)

  1. The role or art of a clown.
    • 1926, The Twentieth Century, volume 99, page 450:
      When the miracle plays became too comic for the taste of the bishops, a generation of lay showmen carried on the tradition of clownship. The combination of showman and dramatist did not outlive the Elizabethans; []