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)