Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - clown

 I. noun  Etymology: probably of Low German origin; akin to Frisian klonne clumsy fellow, Old English clyne lump of metal  Date: 1563  1. farmer, countryman  2. a rude ill-bred person ; boor  3.  a. a fool, jester, or comedian in an entertainment (as a play); specifically a grotesquely dressed comedy performer in a circus  b. a person who habitually jokes and plays the buffoon  c. joker 1b  II. intransitive verb  Date: 1599 to act as or like a ~ always ~ing around