sepia

American  

[see-pee-uh] / ˈsi pi ə /

noun

1. a brown pigment obtained from the inklike secretion of various cuttlefish and used with brush or pen in drawing.

2. a drawing made with this pigment.

3. a dark brown.

4. Photography. a print or photograph made in this color.

5. any of several cuttlefish of the genus Sepia, producing a dark fluid used naturally for defense and, by humans, in ink.

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adjective

1. of a brown, grayish brown, or olive brown similar to that of sepia ink.

sepia British  

/ ˈsiːpɪə /

noun

1. a dark reddish-brown pigment obtained from the inky secretion of the cuttlefish

2. any cuttlefish of the genus Sepia

3. a brownish tone imparted to a photograph, esp an early one such as a calotype. It can be produced by first bleaching a print (after fixing) and then immersing it for a short time in a solution of sodium sulphide or of alkaline thiourea

4. a brownish-grey to dark yellowish-brown colour

5. a drawing or photograph in sepia

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adjective

1. of the colour sepia or done in sepia

   a sepia print

Other Word Forms

• sepialike adjective
• sepic adjective

Etymology

Origin of sepia

1560–70; < Latin sēpia cuttlefish, its secretion < Greek sēpía; akin to sêpsis sepsis