brownie

American  

[brou-nee] / ˈbraʊ ni /

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.

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brownie ¹ British  

/ 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

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Brownie ² British  

/ ˈbraʊnɪ /

noun

1. another name for Brownie Guide

2. (formerly) a popular make of simple box camera

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Usage

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.

Related Words

See fairy.

Etymology

Origin of brownie

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

Example Sentences

"I didn't really know what a cake or a doughnut or a brownie was until I started having after-school parties in California," she says.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

In fact, craving something sweet, I just grabbed a post-lunch packaged brownie from WSJ’s snack-food stash.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Suddenly, it’s a nut dessert with a brownie supporting role.

From Salon • Mar. 5, 2026

Its catchy music and dance sequences made it hugely popular with young audiences, and Jenkins joked she got "brownie points" from her children, aged seven and 10, "for at least trying it".

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025

I half unwrap a fudge brownie GoFast bar and hold it in front of Lacey’s mouth.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green