brownie

[ brou-nee ]

noun

1. (in folklore) a tiny, fanciful, good-natured brown elf who secretly helps at night with household chores.
2. a small, chewy, cakelike cookie, usually made with chocolate and containing nuts.
3. Australian. a bread with currants, baked in a camp oven.
4. Sometimes Brownie. a member of the junior division of the Girl Scouts or the Girl Guides, being a girl in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade and usually between six and eight years old.

Brownie

¹

/ ˈbraʊnɪ /

noun

1. another name for Brownie Guide
2. (formerly) a popular make of simple box camera

brownie

²

/ ˈbraʊnɪ /

noun

1. (in folklore) an elf said to do helpful work at night, esp household chores
2. a small square nutty chocolate cake
3. history a bread made with currants

Word History and Origins

Origin of brownie¹

First recorded in 1520–30; brown + -ie; in folkloric sense, originally Scots

Word History and Origins

Origin of brownie¹

C16: diminutive of brown (that is, a small brown man)

Synonym Study

See fairy.

Example Sentences

Walking off the 18th green Wednesday afternoon, Palisades High golfer Anna Song was greeted by her coach Dave Suarez, who offered her a choice of a brownie or a cookie.

From Los Angeles Times

Later they planned to try their best to make this as normal a day as possible — baking brownies, playing with their kids, cooking with family.

From Los Angeles Times

I don’t want to say this to try to get ideological brownie points, but the fact of the matter is there's nothing enormously brave about me, right?

From Salon

They include a cornbread mix, biscuit mix and two brownie mixes inspired by Parton’s favorite family recipes.

From Salon

From Nancy Regan’s brownies to Barbara Bush’s famous chocolate chip cookies, many first ladies — Republicans in particular — have embraced cooking to fulfill the image of American womanhood.

From Salon

More About Brownie

What is a brownie?

A brownie is a small, chewy chocolate cake-like dessert that often includes nuts, as in We loved Nana’s brownies so much that we begged her to make them for every party. 

In British folklore, a brownie is a tiny, brown elf that secretly assists with chores during the night, as in I once heard a fairy tale about a brownie who helped a cobbler clean his workshop.  

Example: The first thing I learned to bake was brownies, and I still love to bake them.

Where does brownie come from?

The first records of the word brownie come from around 1520. It combines the color word brown and -ie, which is used to form informal or endearing names, like doggie and Susie. The imaginary creature is known as a brownie because it was said to have a brown color. Dessert brownies are also usually brown in color.

Brownies are a popular snack that people often make at home or purchase at a grocery store. Brownies typically resemble small, square cakes. Brownies may contain nuts, chocolate chips, fudge, or other fillings. They also may be topped with icing. Eating too many brownies is like eating too much of any dessert. It can make you sick and, if you eat too many too often, can lead to health problems. But it’s OK to have a brownie once in a while.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to brownie?

• brownies (plural noun)

What are some words that share a root or word element with brownie? 

• brown

What are some words that often get used in discussing brownie?

• fairy
• pixie
• folklore
• dessert
• blondie

How is brownie used in real life?

Brownies are a very popular dessert item that people often make themselves.

Decided to abandon all responsibilities and bake brownies instead

— Morelia (@Bittahkillah) October 31, 2020

It’s my dads birthday and I just wanna be home and eat ribs and fudge brownies with him 😞

— k 🐾 (@littlekayy14) October 27, 2020

I'm out here eating brownies and ice cream, welcome to the good life.

— Chai (@MyNamesChai) November 30, 2017

Try using brownie!

True or False?

A brownie is a cake-like dessert made from chocolate that may also contain nuts.