ombre

or om·bré

[ om-brey ]
See synonyms for ombre on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. having a pattern in which colors or tones fade into one another: Her ombre hair goes from brown at the top to bleached blond at the bottom. The dress has an ombre effect with various intensities of purple fading to white.

Origin of ombre

1
First recorded in 1840–45; from French ombré “shadowed, shaded,” past participle of ombrer, from Italian ombrare “to cover in shadow” (in painting); see origin at umber, umbra

Words that may be confused with ombre

Words Nearby ombre

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ombre in a sentence

  • Livia turned to a French gentleman of her court, M. de St. ombre, and pursued a conversation.

  • M. de St. ombre said, and took the hint of Livia's touch on his arm in the dark.

  • Les murailles se rejoignent au-dessus des alles et les enveloppent d'une ombre frache et mystrieuse.

    Walks in Rome | Augustus J.C. Hare
  • Rodin should have placed his Thinker here: Le Penseur aurait t au diapason dans cette crypt; cette ombre immense laurait fortifi!

    How France Built Her Cathedrals | Elizabeth Boyle O'Reilly
  • "Our hostess looks very pale," whispered the Marquis de Morac to his partner at ombre.

British Dictionary definitions for ombre

ombre

US omber

/ (ˈɒmbə) /


noun
  1. an 18th-century card game

Origin of ombre

1
C17: from Spanish hombre man, referring to the player who attempts to win the stakes

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012