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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

His wool coat trailed behind him and his auburn hair was set into four exacting curls beneath a tricorn hat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

On this afternoon, he is dressed in black, auburn hair slicked back.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 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

Heavy sunflowers weeping over fences; iris curling and browning at the edges far away from their purple hearts; ears of com letting their auburn hair wind down to their stalks.

From "Sula" by Toni Morrison

Cook’s fondness for his alma mater Auburn University, where he earned a degree in industrial engineering, periodically brings him back to campus for special events or football games.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

“They were like, ‘He’s not available for any questions,’” recalled Eves, a longtime Apple fan and an Auburn engineering student at the time.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 29, 2026

Those numbers drew the attention of Auburn, who hired Golesh in November.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Stockard was on the dance team at Auburn, where she studied pediatric nursing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

Osborne grew up in a wealthy household in Auburn, and, after attending prep school and Harvard, became mayor of Auburn, a newspaper publisher, and a manufacturer.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover