olive drab

American  

noun

plural

olive drabs

1. a deep olive color.

2. woolen cloth of this color, used especially for U.S. Army uniforms.

3. a military uniform made from this cloth.

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olive drab British  

noun

1. 1. a dull but fairly strong greyish-olive colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      an olive-drab jacket

2.  OD.  cloth or clothes in this colour, esp the uniform of the US Army

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Etymology

Origin of olive drab

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Others suggested Army Air Corps camouflage: dark olive drab, medium green, neutral gray.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

But the armed men with severe expressions who appeared in the doorway were wearing military uniforms different from the olive drab fatigues she had seen on Israeli soldiers.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 20, 2023

“It’s like khaki isn’t just one color. There’s olive drab khaki, there’s darker-brown khaki, there’s lighter-brown khaki.”

From Washington Post • Feb. 11, 2022

There are prosecutors in suits and ties and soldiers in olive drab camouflage and combat boots.

From New York Times • Dec. 27, 2019

They were quickly named the Truck of Many Colors and Staff Car, the latter a battered olive drab army surplus sedan.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Related Words

• attire
• costume
• dress
• garb
• gown
• khaki
• regalia
• robe
• suit