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auburn

1 American  
[aw-bern] / ˈɔ bərn /

noun

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


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.


auburn British  
/ ˈɔːbən /

noun

    1. a moderate reddish-brown colour

    2. ( as adjective )

      auburn hair

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of auburn

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Every autumn, as leaves turn from green to auburn and float to the ground, we turn into a nation of outdoor undertakers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

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

From BBC • Aug. 9, 2024

An auburn couch was positioned beneath a chandelier hung from the light-wrapped olive trees that surrounded the scene.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 7, 2023

Martin's long, auburn curls fell out, and her memory was slipping.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2023

Short auburn hair peeked out from the rim of a tall helmet.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan