brownie

[ brou-nee ]

noun

1. (in folklore) a tiny, fanciful, good-natured brown elf who secretly helps at night with household chores.
2. a small, chewy, cakelike cookie, usually made with chocolate and containing nuts.
3. Australian. a bread with currants, baked in a camp oven.
4. Sometimes Brownie. a member of the junior division of the Girl Scouts or the Girl Guides, being a girl in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade and usually between six and eight years old.

brownie

¹

/ ˈbraʊnɪ /

noun

1. (in folklore) an elf said to do helpful work at night, esp household chores
2. a small square nutty chocolate cake
3. history a bread made with currants

Brownie

²

/ ˈbraʊnɪ /

noun

1. See Brownie Guide
   another name for Brownie Guide
2. (formerly) a popular make of simple box camera

Word History and Origins

Origin of brownie¹

First recorded in 1520–30; brown + -ie; in folkloric sense, originally Scots

Word History and Origins

Origin of brownie¹

C16: diminutive of brown (that is, a small brown man)

Synonym Study

See fairy.

Example Sentences

If you falter a step in any of these recipes — sometimes a pizza doesn’t slide cleanly onto the pizza stone, or you splash a little extra gin into your glass, or you need to halve the brownie recipe — everything will still be delicious.

From Washington Post

Little Debbie paired up with Kelloggs to cereal-ify its brownies and Oatmeal Creme Pies.

From Washington Post

Step into Coffee Architecture in Mamsha, Abu Dhabi, for example, and you’ll be greeted by warm coffee aromas mixed with milk, spice and brownies.

From Ozy

I probably don’t know where the brownie mix is that this person’s looking for.

From Freakonomics

The set features several different sizes, so they’re perfect for a variety of other jobs, too, like whisking eggs and whipping up pancakes and brownie mix.

From Eater

Ever wondered why the effects of a pot brownie feel so much stronger than regular old smoking?

From The Daily Beast

And, yes, that DOES sound like the ramblings of a DD loving adolescent who just consumed his first pot brownie.

From The Daily Beast

From Palin to a brownie-husband-eating wife, a look back at some of Tina Fey's most memorable 'SNL' sketches.

From The Daily Beast

She and her staff later celebrated with brownie bites and cake from Costco (not paid for at taxpayer expense, an aide points out).

From The Daily Beast

No one wants to be the next Ray Nagin or Heckuva Job Brownie, looking disorganized after Katrina.

From The Daily Beast

The great big dog is named Rover, the middle-sized one Brownie, and the little yellow curly one Wienerwurst.

From Project Gutenberg

He is even more full of mischief than Brownie and loves to run after all the other animals in the barnyard.

From Project Gutenberg

Under the big oak by the brook sat the three happy children with Rover, Brownie, and little yellow Wienerwurst.

From Project Gutenberg

Rover and Brownie and Wienerwurst lay curled up in their kennels, with their eyes tight shut.

From Project Gutenberg

Opening the big gate, she turned Brownie loose in the yard, while the man stood watching her, a baffled look upon his face.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Brownie

What is a brownie?

A brownie is a small, chewy chocolate cake-like dessert that often includes nuts, as in We loved Nana’s brownies so much that we begged her to make them for every party. 

In British folklore, a brownie is a tiny, brown elf that secretly assists with chores during the night, as in I once heard a fairy tale about a brownie who helped a cobbler clean his workshop.  

Example: The first thing I learned to bake was brownies, and I still love to bake them.

Where does brownie come from?

The first records of the word brownie come from around 1520. It combines the color word brown and -ie, which is used to form informal or endearing names, like doggie and Susie. The imaginary creature is known as a brownie because it was said to have a brown color. Dessert brownies are also usually brown in color.

Brownies are a popular snack that people often make at home or purchase at a grocery store. Brownies typically resemble small, square cakes. Brownies may contain nuts, chocolate chips, fudge, or other fillings. They also may be topped with icing. Eating too many brownies is like eating too much of any dessert. It can make you sick and, if you eat too many too often, can lead to health problems. But it’s OK to have a brownie once in a while.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to brownie?

• brownies (plural noun)

What are some words that share a root or word element with brownie? 

• brown

What are some words that often get used in discussing brownie?

• fairy
• pixie
• folklore
• dessert
• blondie

How is brownie used in real life?

Brownies are a very popular dessert item that people often make themselves.

Decided to abandon all responsibilities and bake brownies instead

— Morelia (@Bittahkillah) October 31, 2020

It’s my dads birthday and I just wanna be home and eat ribs and fudge brownies with him 😞

— k 🐾 (@littlekayy14) October 27, 2020

I'm out here eating brownies and ice cream, welcome to the good life.

— Chai (@MyNamesChai) November 30, 2017

Try using brownie!

True or False?

A brownie is a cake-like dessert made from chocolate that may also contain nuts.