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• auburn
  auburn

  noun

  a reddish-brown or golden-brown color.
• Auburn
  Auburn

  noun

  a city in central New York: state prison.

auburn

¹ American  

[aw-bern] / ˈɔ bərn /

noun

1. a reddish-brown or golden-brown color.

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adjective

1. having auburn color.

   auburn hair.

Auburn ² American  

[aw-bern] / ˈɔ bərn /

noun

1. a city in central New York: state prison.

2. a city in E Alabama.

3. a city in W central Washington.

4. a city in SW Maine, on the Androscoggin River.

5. a city in central Massachusetts.

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auburn British  

/ ˈɔːbən /

noun

1. 1. a moderate reddish-brown colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      auburn hair

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Etymology

Origin of auburn

1400–50; late Middle English abo ( u ) rne blond < Middle French, Old French auborne, alborne < Latin alburnus whitish. See alburnum

Explanation

Auburn is a reddish-brown color. If you ask a hairdresser to color your hair auburn, you'll be disappointed to end up with bright red curls. Auburn almost always describes hair color — you might talk about your favorite childhood doll's long auburn hair, for example. The earliest meaning of auburn was "yellowish-white," not "reddish-brown," from the Medieval Latin alburnus, "off-white" or "whitish," from the Latin albus, or "white." In the 16th century it was influenced by the Middle English word brun, "brown," and the meaning changed.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

auburn Auburn

The Magdalene’s cascading auburn hair, which she fingers delicately, seems to have influenced the palette of the entire painting, from her glowing near-golden gown to her dull taupe scarf.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

Dressed in an auburn zipper sweater, he said not a word, expertly tilting his head this way, that way, profile, straight-ahead.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025

The land was auburn coloured, covered with dried stalks of recently cut corn, good fodder for hungry sheep.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2024

According to that entry, the woman was thought to be 5-foot-5 with red or auburn hair.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 14, 2023

If you do, you can watch the sky shift from gray to auburn and next thing you know, it’s morning.

From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly

At Auburn incoming students must now take certain required civics and history courses to master basic competency in U.S. history and government.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

Miami Dolphins: Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn — Dolphins are a trade-up candidate, but they are sorely in need of pass-rush help.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026

But Cook is also an Auburn University man, who graduated from the state’s second university in 1982.

From Barron's ● Apr. 20, 2026

A study from Auburn University, published in July last year, looked at the viewing behaviours of 453 dogs through surveys completed by their owners.

From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026

The trip was without incident until we changed buses at Auburn.

From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin