ecru

American  

[ek-roo, ey-kroo] / ˈɛk ru, ˈeɪ kru /

French écru

adjective

1. very light brown in color, as raw silk, unbleached linen, etc.

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noun

1. an ecru color.

ecru British  

/ ˈeɪkruː, ˈɛkruː /

noun

1. a greyish-yellow to a light greyish colour; the colour of unbleached linen

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adjective

1. of the colour ecru

Etymology

Origin of ecru

1865–70; < French, equivalent to é- completely (< Latin ex- ex- ¹ ) + cru raw (< Latin crūdus; crude )

Example Sentences

The bags are pretty simple in design: a bland ecru exterior emblazoned with TJ’s trademark emblem along with straps that come in a red, navy, yellow or green hue.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2024

He stuck to a colour palette of breezy blues, cream, sand and ecru.

From Reuters • Sep. 15, 2023

An ecru wool crepe cape with long, draping sleeves set the classical tone, with the gathered plaits of the models’ hair, a throwback to times past.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 3, 2023

Greene’s outfit Tuesday — a white, knee-length dress paired with an ecru Overland alpaca wool coat with an alpaca fur trim on the hood and collar — was surprising for a handful of reasons.

From Washington Post • Feb. 8, 2023

The figure is barely painted, all in one color, a light ecru.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman