beigen.adj.
/beɪʒ/, U.S. /beɪʒ/ A. n.
1. A fine woollen fabric used as a dress-material, originally left in its natural colour but later dyed in various colours. Also beige cloth.
ΘΚΠ
the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile fabric or an article of textile fabric > textile fabric > textile fabric made from specific material > made from wool > [noun] > thin or fine
tamin1552
rattinet1748
toilenette1789
cashmere1822
woollenette1825
beige1858
crystal1860
nun's cloth1883
1858 P. L. Simmonds Dict. Trade Products Beige, a French coarse cloth.
1879 Cassell's Family Mag. Sept. 634/2 The young lady..is in bège and silk.
1879 Cassell's Family Mag. Nov. 755/1 Her skirt is of silk and beige cloth.
1882 S. F. A. Caulfeild & B. C. Saward Dict. Needlework 26/2 Beige is made of undyed wool, is an extremely soft textile, graceful in draping, and employed for morning and out-door wear... There is a description of this textile, called snowflake beige, of a neutral ground.
1890 A. Conan Doyle Sign of Four ii. 21 The dress was a sombre grayish beige, untrimmed and unbraided.
2. A shade of colour like that of undyed and unbleached wool; yellowish-grey. Also beige colour, whence beige-coloured adj.
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the world > matter > colour > named colours > grey or greyness > [noun] > yellowish grey
mouse-dunc1465
mouse-coloura1576
mouse grey1825
putty1869
beige1879
naturelle1887
mouse1895
greige1911
kasha1957
the world > matter > colour > named colours > grey or greyness > [adjective] > yellowish grey
mouse-coloured1605
mouse-colour1607
mouse-dun1686
putty-coloured1820
beige1879
beige-coloured1879
greige1927
1879 Cassell's Family Mag. Mar. 249/1 Beige shades go with moss-green.
1879 Cassell's Family Mag. Mar. 250/2 The hat..is of bège-coloured plush.
1896 Daily News 9 May 8/6 The colour of grass lawn is technically known as beige.
1899 Daily News 19 Aug. 7/4 Beige is the coolest possible colour.
B. adj.
Of wool or woollen and other fabrics, etc.: of a natural yellowish-grey colour.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > named colours > grey or greyness > [adjective] > yellowish grey
mouse-coloured1605
mouse-colour1607
mouse-dun1686
putty-coloured1820
beige1879
beige-coloured1879
greige1927
18791 [see sense A. 2].
1899 Daily News 20 Mar. 8/7 The creamy lace..will be deep enough in tint to be beige.
1926 Brit. Weekly 24 June 250/5 The dress of beige lace is very much liked just now.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1933; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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n.adj.1858