beige
Americannoun
adjective
noun
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a very light brown, sometimes with a yellowish tinge, similar to the colour of undyed wool
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( as adjective )
beige gloves
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a fabric made of undyed or unbleached wool
Etymology
Origin of beige
1855–60; < French; Old French bege, of uncertain origin
Explanation
Beige is a tan color with a reputation for being neutral, if not boring. Khaki pants and coffee with lots of cream might be beige. Beige does not sound the way it looks. The "ei" is pronounced like a long "a" (as in "cake") and the "g" is a soft "zh" sound. This is because beige comes straight out of French, where it originally meant a fabric of the color we now know as beige. See? Beige has some interesting qualities for such a boring color.
Vocabulary lists containing beige
Brown
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Lucky Broken Girl
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American Street
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index is due at 10 a.m., followed by the Fed Beige Book of economic activity at 2 p.m.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
Investors will watch out for Wednesday’s release of the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book for on the ground information on how the Middle East conflict is impacting U.S. businesses.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
Here are some of the major takeaways from the February Beige Book.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026
The Beige Book, published eight times a year, compiles anecdotal reports from businesses, banks, and community groups in each region.
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
Beige computers sat on some of the tabletops and a row of beanbag chairs slouched along one wall like giant gumdrops.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
