Word forms: comparative browner, superlative brownest, plural, 3rd person singular presenttense browns, present participle browning, past tense, past participle browned
1. colour
Something that is brown is the colour of earth or of wood.
...her deep brown eyes.
The stairs are decorated in golds and earthy browns.
2. adjective [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE]
You can describe a white-skinned person as brown when they have been sitting in the sun until their skin has become darker than usual.
I don't want to be really really brown, just have a nice light golden colour.
3. verb
If someone browns in the sun they become brown in colour.
Her skin was of the fortunate kind that could brown in the sun without burning. [VERB]
4. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
Brown is used to describe grains that have not had their outer layers removed, and foods made from these grains.
...brown bread.
...spicy tomato sauce served over a bed of brown rice.
5. verb
When food browns or when you brown food, you cook it, usually for a short time on a high flame.
Cook for ten minutes until the sugar browns. [VERB]
He browned the chicken in a frying pan. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: fry, cook, grill, sear More Synonyms of brown
More Synonyms of brown
brown in British English
(braʊn)
noun
1.
any of various colours, such as those of wood or earth, produced by low intensity light in the wavelength range 620–585 nanometres
2.
a dye or pigment producing these colours
3.
brown cloth or clothing
dressed in brown
4.
any of numerous mostly reddish-brown butterflies of the genera Maniola, Lasiommata, etc, such as M. jurtina (meadow brown): family Satyridae
adjective
5.
of the colour brown
6.
(of bread) made from a flour that has not been bleached or bolted, such as wheatmeal or wholemeal flour
7.
deeply tanned or sunburnt
verb
8.
to make (esp food as a result of cooking) brown or (esp of food) to become brown
Derived forms
brownish (ˈbrownish) or browny (ˈbrowny)
adjective
brownness (ˈbrownness)
noun
Word origin
Old English brūn; related to Old Norse brūnn, Old High German brūn, Greek phrunos toad, Sanskrit babhru reddish-brown
Brown in British English
(braʊn)
noun
1.
Sir Arthur Whitten (ˈwɪtən). 1886–1948, British aviator who with J.W. Alcock made the first flight across the Atlantic (1919)
2.
Ford Madox. 1821–93, British painter, associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. His paintings include The Last of England (1865) and Work (1865)
3.
George (Alfred), Lord George-Brown. 1914–85, British Labour politician; vice-chairman and deputy leader of the Labour party (1960–70); foreign secretary 1966–68
4.
George Mackay. 1921–96, Scottish poet, novelist, and short-story writer. His works, which include the novels Greenvoe (1972) and Magnus (1973), reflect the history and culture of Orkney
5.
(James) Gordon. born 1951, British Labour politician; Chancellor of the Exchequer (1997–2007); prime minister (2007–10)
6.
Herbert Charles. 1912–2004, US chemist, who worked on the compounds of boron. Nobel prize for chemistry 1979
7.
James. 1933–2006, US soul singer and songwriter, noted for his dynamic stage performances and for his commitment to Black rights
8.
John. 1800–59, US abolitionist leader, hanged after leading an unsuccessful rebellion of slaves at Harper's Ferry, Virginia
9.
Lancelot, called Capability Brown. 1716–83, British landscape gardener
10.
Michael (Stuart). born 1941, US physician: shared the Nobel prize for physiology or medicine (1985) for work on cholesterol
11.
Robert. 1773–1858, Scottish botanist who was the first to observe the Brownian movement in fluids
Brown in American English
(braʊn)
1.
ˈCharles Brockden (ˈbrɑkdən) 1771-1810; U.S. novelist
2.
(James) Gordon1951- ; Brit. politician: prime minister (2007- )
3.
Herbert Charles1912-2004; U.S. organic chemist, born in Great Britain
4.
John1800-59; U.S. abolitionist: as part of a plan for an uprising among slaves, he led a raid on an arsenal at Harpers Ferry: hanged for treason
5.
Lancelot(also called Capability Brown) 1715?-83; Eng. landscape artist
brown in American English
(braʊn)
adjective
1.
having the color of chocolate or coffee, a combination of red, black, and yellow
2.
having a naturally dark or tanned skin; dark-skinned
noun
3.
brown color
4.
brown pigment or dye
verb transitive, verb intransitive
5.
to make or become brown, esp. by exposure to sunlight, as in tanning, or to heat, as in cooking
Idioms:
be browned off
do up brown
Derived forms
brownish (ˈbrownish)
adjective
brownness (ˈbrownness)
noun
Word origin
ME broun < OE brun < IE base *bhrou-no- < *bher-, brown: see bear2
More idioms containing
brown
brown as a berry
Examples of 'brown' in a sentence
brown
Turn the pancake over using a spatula and cook on the other side until golden brown.
The Sun (2017)
The other had brown hair and brown eyes.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Key colours are brown and grey with splashes of burnt orange.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Put in mince and cook until lightly browned.
The Sun (2016)
It required him to have his blond hair dyed dark brown.
The Sun (2017)
The total mass of the brown sugar and dish is 110g.
The Sun (2016)
It should be golden brown when cooked.
The Sun (2012)
The first meadow brown butterflies are flitting along with a wobbling motion between the tall grasses.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Gold and brown have scored just one top place each.
The Sun (2010)
The mixture will become a deep chestnut brown.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Her mother also has a variety of moles and brown skin patches.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Sprinkle the chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour the wine around them.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Heat the tamarind sauce with the brown sugar.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
You can boil some brown rice and leave to cool for tomorrow.
Kowalski, Robert E The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure (1990)
Mix together the soy sauce and brown sugar and pour over the steak.
The Sun (2012)
Heat the residual oil in a frying pan and quickly brown the lamb.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It remains law for all white and brown flour to still have calcium added.
The Sun (2012)
Others have suffered the formation of permanent brown pigment on their eyelids.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
She had straight dark brown hair in a ponytail.
The Sun (2008)
They turn into a more appetising golden brown when cooked.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Then his naturally white hair was dyed brown.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The colour was very natural for a glow but not for people who want to look really brown instantly.
The Sun (2010)
With her fair skin and rich brown hair, the actress needs little help to shine.
The Sun (2010)
Choose rich earthy reds, browns and greens to be in keeping with the overall look.
Churchill, Jane (ed.) Collins Complete Books of Soft Furnishings (1993)
Oaks are generally the last trees to lose their leaves, which are now mostly brown.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Word lists with
brown
sauce
In other languages
brown
British English: brown /braʊn/ ADJECTIVE
Something that is brown is the colour of earth or of wood.
...her deep brown eyes.
American English: brown
Arabic: أَسُمَر
Brazilian Portuguese: marrom
Chinese: 棕色的
Croatian: smeđ
Czech: hnědý
Danish: brun
Dutch: bruin
European Spanish: marrón
Finnish: ruskea
French: marron
German: braun
Greek: καφετής
Italian: marrone
Japanese: 茶色の
Korean: 갈색의
Norwegian: brun
Polish: brązowy
European Portuguese: castanho
Romanian: maro
Russian: коричневый
Latin American Spanish: marrón
Swedish: brun
Thai: สีน้ำตาล
Turkish: kahverengi
Ukrainian: коричневий
Vietnamese: màu nâu
All related terms of 'brown'
brown ale
a rich ale made with brown or dark malt
brown bag
a bag made of brown paper , often used for carrying a packed lunch or alcohol
brown bat
any of several small to medium-sized common bats of the genera Myotis and Eptesicus , found worldwide in caves , trees, and buildings, including M . lucifugus ( little brown bat ) and E. fuscus ( big brown bat ), a widespread North American species
brown cow
a drink made by mixing cola and milk
brown fat
tissue composed of a type of fat cell that dissipates as heat most of the energy released when food is oxidized ; brown adipose tissue. It is present in hibernating animals and human babies and is thought to be important in adult weight control
brown owl
→ another name for tawny owl
brown rat
a common brownish rat , Rattus norvegicus : a serious pest in all parts of the world
brown rot
a disease of apples , peaches , etc, caused by fungi of the genus Sclerotinia and characterized by yellowish-brown masses of spores on the plant surface
nut-brown
Nut-brown is used to describe things that are dark reddish brown in colour.
brown alga
an alga of the class Phaeophyceae, usually brown owing to the presence of brown pigments in addition to the chlorophyll
brown algae
any algae of the phylum Phaeophyta , such as the wracks and kelps, which contain a brown pigment in addition to chlorophyll
brown bear
a large ferocious brownish bear, Ursus arctos , inhabiting temperate forests of North America, Europe, and Asia
brown belt
a level of expertise just below that of black belt
brown betty
a baked apple pudding made with butter , spices , sugar , and bread crumbs
brown bread
bread made with wholemeal flour , or with ingredients that give it a brown colour
brown coal
a low-quality coal intermediate in grade between peat and lignite
brown dwarf
a type of celestial body midway in mass between a large planet and a small star
brown earth
an intrazonal soil of temperate humid regions typically developed under deciduous forest into a dark rich layer ( mull ): characteristic of much of southern and central England
brown flour
wheat flour that uses approximately 85% of the whole grain
brown goods
Brown goods are electrical appliances such as televisions and audio equipment . Compare → white goods .
brown hyena
a species of hyena ( Hyaena brunnea ) that scavenges on shores of southern Africa
brown nose
a form of light sensitization in cattle
brown paper
a coarse unbleached paper used for wrapping
brown pound
the perceived purchasing power of Britain’s Black and Asian minorities as a group
brown rice
unpolished rice , in which the grains retain the outer yellowish-brown layer ( bran )
brown sauce
a sauce made from cooked fat and flour
Brown Shirt
(in Nazi Germany) a storm trooper
brown snake
any of various common venomous snakes of the genus Pseudonaja
brown spot
a disease of many plants, characterized by irregular , brownish lesions on the fruit and foliage and by stem cankers , caused by any of several fungi , as Ceratophorum setosum or Cephalosporium apii
brown-state
(of linen and lace fabrics) undyed
brown study
a mood of deep absorption or thoughtfulness; reverie
brown sugar
sugar that is unrefined or only partially refined
Brown Swiss
a hardy breed of large, brown dairy cattle , first raised in Switzerland
brown toast
toasted wholemeal bread
brown trout
a common brownish variety of the trout Salmo trutta that occurs in the rivers of N Europe and has been successfully introduced in North America
march brown
an angler's name for the dun and spinner of various mayflies or an artificial fly imitating one of these
olive brown
a dull yellowish-brown to yellowish-green colour
seal brown
a dark brown colour often with a yellowish or greyish tinge
wall brown
any of three species of brown butterfly , esp the common Lasiommata megera, that habitually sun themselves on rocks and walls
brown bagged
a bag made of brown paper , often used for carrying a packed lunch or alcohol
brown-bagging
the practice of eating one's lunch or drinking a bottle of alcohol from a brown bag
brown butter
See beurre noir
brown creeper
a small bush bird , Finschia novaeseelandiae , of South Island , New Zealand
brown hickory
a North American hickory tree, Carya glabra
brown-nosing
If you accuse someone of brown-nosing , you are saying in a rather offensive way that they are agreeing with someone important in order to get their support.
brown seaweed
any algae of the phylum Phaeophyta , such as the wracks and kelps, which contain a brown pigment in addition to chlorophyll
golden-brown
of brown with a golden tinge
Havana Brown
a breed of medium-sized cat with large eyes, large ears , and a sleek brown coat
nigger brown
a dark brown colour
turkey brown
an angler's name for a species of mayfly , Paraleptophlebia submarginata
Chinese translation of 'brown'
brown
(braun)
adj
(in colour)
[object]褐色的 (hèsè de)
[hair, eyes]棕色的 (zōngsè de)
(= tanned)[skin, person]晒黑的 (shàiheī de)
n(u)
(= colour) 褐色 (hèsè)
vi
(Culin) 变(變)成褐色 (biànchéng hèsè)
vt
(Culin) 烧(燒)至金黄(黃) (shāo zhì jīnhuáng)
1 (adjective)
Definition
of the colour of wood or the earth
her deep brown eyes
Synonyms
brunette
dark
bay
coffee
chocolate
brick
toasted
ginger
rust
chestnut
hazel
dun
auburn
tawny
umber
donkey brown
fuscous
2 (adjective)
Definition
deeply tanned
rows of bodies slowly going brown in the sun
Synonyms
tanned
browned
bronze
Her hair shone bronze and gold.
bronzed
He's bronzed from a short holiday in California.
tan
dusky
sunburnt
Mr Cooper looked fit and sunburnt.
3 (adjective)
brown bread
Synonyms
wholemeal
wholegrain
untreated
unrefined
the price of unrefined oil as it comes out of the ground
coarse-grained
unpurified
(verb)
Definition
to make or become brown or browner, for example as a result of cooking
He browned the chicken in a frying pan.
Synonyms
fry
cook
grill
sear
Sear the red pepper strips until they start to blacken.
sauté
subject word lists
See Shades of brown
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bronze
Definition
yellowish-brown
Her hair shone bronze and gold.
Synonyms
reddish-brown,
copper,
tan,
rust,
chestnut,
brownish,
copper-coloured,
yellowish-brown,
reddish-tan,
metallic brown
in the sense of bronzed
He's bronzed from a short holiday in California.
Synonyms
tanned,
brown,
suntanned,
sunburnt
in the sense of sear
Definition
to scorch or burn the surface of
Sear the red pepper strips until they start to blacken.