ecru

[ ek-roo, ey-kroo ]

/ ˈɛk ru, ˈeɪ kru /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ecru ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

very light brown in color, as raw silk, unbleached linen, etc.

noun

an ecru color.

RELATED WORDS

tan, beige

Nearby words

ecotropic virus, ecotype, ecowas, ecphonesis, ecr, ecru, ecs, ecsc, ecstasy, ecstatic, ecstatics

Also é·cru

[French ey-kry] /French eɪˈkrü/.

Origin of ecru

1865–70; < French, equivalent to é- completely (< Latin ex- ex-¹) + cru raw (< Latin crūdus; see crude)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ecru

Over the back was an ecru antimacassar, tied with a pale-blue ribbon.
Mrs. Bindle|Hebert Jenkins
He was slightly smaller than a load of hay in his belted suit of ecru pongee; he wore a satisfied air and a pleased mustache.
The Sin of Monsieur Pettipon|Richard Connell
She wore a percale gown, ecru ground with bright figures, a rose-colored cravat and a bonnet laden with flowers.
L'Assommoir|Emile Zola
You can take my ecru lace scarf, if you wish, and that will cover most of the spots.
The Wit and Humor of America, Volume II. (of X.)|Various

Madame had, cried madame's maid, running to fetch one with little pink flowers and green leaves on an ecru ground.
A Modern Chronicle, Complete|Winston Churchill

British Dictionary definitions for ecru

ecru

/ (ˈɛkruː, ˈeɪkruː) /

noun

a greyish-yellow to a light greyish colour; the colour of unbleached linen

adjective

of the colour ecru

Word Origin for ecru

C19: from French, from é- (intensive) + cru raw, from Latin crūdus; see crude

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

Word Origin and History for ecru

ecru

adj.

1869, from French écru "raw, unbleached," from Old French escru "raw, crude, rough" (13c.), from es- "thoroughly" (see ex-) + Latin crudus "raw" (see crude).