brown

¹

[ broun ]

noun

1. a dark tertiary color with a yellowish or reddish hue.
2. Offensive. a person whose skin has a light- or dark-brown pigmentation.

adjective

, brown·er, brown·est.

1. of the color brown.
2. (of animals) having skin, fur, hair, or feathers of that color.
3. sunburned or tanned.
4. Often Offensive. (of human beings) having the skin naturally pigmented a brown color.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to make or become brown.
2. to fry, sauté, or scorch slightly in cooking:

   to brown onions before adding them to the stew. The potatoes browned in the pan.

verb phrase

1. to subject to a brownout:

   The power failure browned out the southern half of the state.

Brown

²

[ broun ]

noun

1. Charles Brock·den [chahrlz, , brok, -d, uh, n], 1771–1810, U.S. writer and intellectual, known as “the Father of the American novel.”
2. Clifford Brownie, 1930–56, U.S. jazz trumpeter and composer.
3. Herbert Charles, 1912–2004, U.S. chemist, born in England: Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1979.
4. Jerry Edmund Gerald Brown, Jr., born 1938, U.S. politician: governor of California 1975–83 and 2011–19.
5. Jim James Nathaniel Brown, 1936–2023, U.S. football player and actor: Pro Football Hall of Fame 1971.
6. John Osawatomie Brown, 1800–59, U.S. abolitionist: leader of the attack at Harpers Ferry, where he was captured, tried for treason, and hanged.
7. Margaret Wise, 1910–52, U.S. author noted for early-childhood books, including Goodnight Moon.
8. Olympia, 1835–1926, U.S. women's-rights activist and Universalist minister: first American woman ordained by a major church.
9. Robert, 1773–1858, Scottish botanist noted for his pioneering work in paleobotany and palynology.

brown

¹

/ braʊn /

noun

1. any of various colours, such as those of wood or earth, produced by low intensity light in the wavelength range 620–585 nanometres
2. a dye or pigment producing these colours
3. brown cloth or clothing

   dressed in brown

4. any of numerous mostly reddish-brown butterflies of the genera Maniola, Lasiommata , etc, such as M. jurtina ( meadow brown ): family Satyridae

adjective

1. of the colour brown
2. (of bread) made from a flour that has not been bleached or bolted, such as wheatmeal or wholemeal flour
3. deeply tanned or sunburnt

verb

1. to make (esp food as a result of cooking) brown or (esp of food) to become brown

Brown

²

/ braʊn /

noun

1. BrownSir Arthur Whitten18861948MBritishTRAVEL AND EXPLORATION: aviator Sir Arthur Whitten (ˈwɪt ^ən). 1886–1948, British aviator who with J.W. Alcock made the first flight across the Atlantic (1919)
2. BrownFord Madox18211893MBritishARTS AND CRAFTS: painter Ford Madox . 1821–93, British painter, associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. His paintings include The Last of England (1865) and Work (1865)
3. BrownGeorge (Alfred)19141985MBritishPOLITICS: statesman George ( Alfred ), Lord George-Brown. 1914–85, British Labour politician; vice-chairman and deputy leader of the Labour party (1960–70); foreign secretary 1966–68
4. BrownGeorge Mackay19211996MScottishWRITING: poetWRITING: novelistWRITING: short-story writer George Mackay . 1921–96, Scottish poet, novelist, and short-story writer. His works, which include the novels Greenvoe (1972) and Magnus (1973), reflect the history and culture of Orkney
5. BrownJames) Gordon1951MBritishPOLITICS: statesman ( James ) Gordon . born 1951, British Labour politician; Chancellor of the Exchequer (1997–2007); prime minister (2007–10)
6. BrownHerbert Charles19122004MUSSCIENCE: chemist Herbert Charles . 1912–2004, US chemist, who worked on the compounds of boron. Nobel prize for chemistry 1979
7. BrownJames19332006MUSMUSIC: soul singerMUSIC: songwriter James . 1933–2006, US soul singer and songwriter, noted for his dynamic stage performances and for his commitment to Black rights
8. BrownJohn18001859MUSPOLITICS: abolitionist leader John . 1800–59, US abolitionist leader, hanged after leading an unsuccessful rebellion of slaves at Harper's Ferry, Virginia
9. BrownLancelot17161783MBritishTECHNOLOGY: gardener Lancelot , called Capability Brown . 1716–83, British landscape gardener
10. BrownMichael (Stuart)1941MUSMEDICINE: physician Michael ( Stuart ). born 1941, US physician: shared the Nobel prize for physiology or medicine (1985) for work on cholesterol
11. BrownRobert17731858MScottishSCIENCE: botanist Robert . 1773–1858, Scottish botanist who was the first to observe the Brownian movement in fluids

Sensitive Note

Brown as a noun and adjective to describe people with a brownish skin color is often perceived as insulting. Historically it has been used by anthropologists and scientists as a racial and ethnic classification to describe various dark-skinned populations, as in North Africa, the Middle East, Malaysia, and South Asia. It is also a term associated with colonialism. In recent times, brown has been used of Hispanics and South Asians in North America, many of whom self-identify as brown.

Derived Forms

• ˈbrownish, adjective
• ˈbrownness, noun

Other Words From

• brownish browny adjective
• brownness noun
• over·brown verb
• un·browned adjective
• well-browned adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of brown¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English brūn; cognate with Dutch bruin, German braun, Old Norse brūnn; akin to Lithuanian brúnas; bear ²( def ), bruin ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of brown¹

Old English brūn ; related to Old Norse brūnn , Old High German brūn , Greek phrunos toad, Sanskrit babhru reddish-brown

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. browned off, Slang. angry; fed up.
2. do it up brown, Informal. to do thoroughly:

   When they entertain, they really do it up brown.

More idioms and phrases containing brown

• do up (brown)

Example Sentences

Around him, tiny peach trees the size of pencils stand above the browning grass underneath their parent tree.

From Salon

Russian President Vladimir Putin has gifted North Korea's main zoo more than 70 animals, including a lion and two brown bears, in yet another display of burgeoning relations between Moscow and Pyongyang.

From BBC

She is described as being 5 feet 10 and weighing 140 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes.

From Los Angeles Times

"Working for freedom for Palestinians is inseparable from the work of liberation everywhere, including for our immigrant, Black and brown, Arab, Muslim, Jewish, trans and queer communities here in the U.S."

From Salon

He was tall and brawny, with leafy brown hair.

From Salon