brownstone

American  

[braun-stohn] / ˈbraʊnˌstoʊn /

noun

1. a reddish-brown sandstone, used extensively as a building material.

2. Also called brownstone front. a building, especially a row house, fronted with this stone.

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adjective

1. Archaic. belonging or pertaining to the well-to-do class.

brownstone British  

/ ˈbraʊnˌstəʊn /

noun

1. a reddish-brown iron-rich sandstone used for building

2. a house built of or faced with this stone

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Etymology

Origin of brownstone

First recorded in 1830–40; brown + stone

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

brownstone

Instead, we met at Gloria’s brownstone and laid flowers along the fence outside her door.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

Being able to afford a $700-per-month brownstone apartment in a highly sought-after neighborhood on a columnist’s salary.

From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2026

Booth started up DFA in his Brooklyn Heights, N.Y., brownstone in 1981, after forays in indexing at Wells Fargo and A.G.

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

The result was a far cry from the dilapidated state the Carroll Gardens brownstone had been in when Harbour and Allen purchased it.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 12, 2026

Every Thursday night, Fred and the other dogs from the show would hang out in the living room of the Brooklyn brownstone and watch Dog Squad together.

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

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