brown
a dark tertiary color with a yellowish or reddish hue.
Offensive. a person whose skin has a light- or dark-brown pigmentation.
of the color brown.
(of animals) having skin, fur, hair, or feathers of that color.
sunburned or tanned.
Often Offensive. (of human beings) having the skin naturally pigmented a brown color.
to make or become brown.
to fry, sauté, or scorch slightly in cooking: to brown onions before adding them to the stew. The potatoes browned in the pan.
brown out, to subject to a brownout: The power failure browned out the southern half of the state.
Idioms about brown
browned off, Slang. angry; fed up.
do it up brown, Informal. to do thoroughly: When they entertain, they really do it up brown.
Origin of brown
1usage note For brown
Other words from brown
- brownish, browny, adjective
- brownness, noun
- o·ver·brown, verb
- un·browned, adjective
- well-browned, adjective
Other definitions for Brown (2 of 2)
Charles Brock·den [chahrlz-brok-duhn], /ˈtʃɑrlz ˈbrɒk dən/, 1771–1810, U.S. writer and intellectual, known as “the Father of the American novel.”
Clifford "Brownie", 1930–56, U.S. jazz trumpeter and composer.
Herbert Charles, 1912–2004, U.S. chemist, born in England: Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1979.
Jerry Edmund Gerald Brown, Jr., born 1938, U.S. politician: governor of California 1975–83 and 2011–19.
Jim James Nathaniel Brown, 1936–2023, U.S. football player and actor: Pro Football Hall of Fame 1971.
John "Osawatomie Brown", 1800–59, U.S. abolitionist: leader of the attack at Harpers Ferry, where he was captured, tried for treason, and hanged.
Margaret Wise, 1910–52, U.S. author noted for early-childhood books, including Goodnight Moon.
Olympia, 1835–1926, U.S. women's-rights activist and Universalist minister: first American woman ordained by a major church.
Robert, 1773–1858, Scottish botanist noted for his pioneering work in paleobotany and palynology.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use brown in a sentence
Senior White House energy adviser Carol Browner said that the worst days of the BP oil spill may be behind us.
August 8: 7 Best Moments From Sunday Talk | The Daily Beast Video | August 8, 2010 | THE DAILY BEASTAs I field final exam questions, a few of the browner students cast sidelong glances.
It resembles the European rabbit in figure, and the hare by its size and colour, being only somewhat browner.
Buffon's Natural History. Volume IX (of 10) | Georges Louis Leclerc de BuffonShe was thinner now with this prairie life, and browner, and the ends of her hair were still yellowing, like that of outdoors men.
The Way of a Man | Emerson HoughThe young man was thinner, browner and harder of fiber than the Jones of two weeks previous.
Average Jones | Samuel Hopkins Adams
During all these days Sergius had grown thinner and browner.
The Lion's Brood | Duffield OsborneIn the torchlight she looked browner and more vigorous than when he had seen her last.
The Devil's Asteroid | Manly Wade Wellman
British Dictionary definitions for brown (1 of 2)
/ (braʊn) /
any of various colours, such as those of wood or earth, produced by low intensity light in the wavelength range 620–585 nanometres
a dye or pigment producing these colours
brown cloth or clothing: dressed in brown
any of numerous mostly reddish-brown butterflies of the genera Maniola, Lasiommata, etc, such as M. jurtina (meadow brown): family Satyridae
of the colour brown
(of bread) made from a flour that has not been bleached or bolted, such as wheatmeal or wholemeal flour
deeply tanned or sunburnt
to make (esp food as a result of cooking) brown or (esp of food) to become brown
Origin of brown
1Derived forms of brown
- brownish or browny, adjective
- brownness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for Brown (2 of 2)
/ (braʊn) /
Sir Arthur Whitten (ˈwɪt ə n). 1886–1948, British aviator who with J.W. Alcock made the first flight across the Atlantic (1919)
Ford Madox . 1821–93, British painter, associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. His paintings include The Last of England (1865) and Work (1865)
George (Alfred), Lord George-Brown. 1914–85, British Labour politician; vice-chairman and deputy leader of the Labour party (1960–70); foreign secretary 1966–68
George Mackay . 1921–96, Scottish poet, novelist, and short-story writer. His works, which include the novels Greenvoe (1972) and Magnus (1973), reflect the history and culture of Orkney
(James) Gordon . born 1951, British Labour politician; Chancellor of the Exchequer (1997–2007); prime minister (2007–10)
Herbert Charles . 1912–2004, US chemist, who worked on the compounds of boron. Nobel prize for chemistry 1979
James . 1933–2006, US soul singer and songwriter, noted for his dynamic stage performances and for his commitment to Black rights
John . 1800–59, US abolitionist leader, hanged after leading an unsuccessful rebellion of slaves at Harper's Ferry, Virginia
Lancelot, called Capability Brown . 1716–83, British landscape gardener
Michael (Stuart). born 1941, US physician: shared the Nobel prize for physiology or medicine (1985) for work on cholesterol
Robert . 1773–1858, Scottish botanist who was the first to observe the Brownian movement in fluids
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with brown
In addition to the idioms beginning with brown
- brown bagger
- browned off
- brownie points
- brown nose
- brown study, in a
also see:
- do up (brown)
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Browse