umber
1 of 3noun
um·ber ˈəm-bər 
1
a
: a moderate to dark yellowish brown
b
: a moderate brown
2
: a brown earth that is darker in color than ocher and sienna because of its content of manganese and iron oxides and is highly valued as a permanent pigment either in the raw or burnt state
umber
2 of 3adjective
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of umber
specifically : of the color of umber
umber
3 of 3verb
umbered; umbering ˈəm-b(ə-)riŋ
transitive verb
: to darken with or as if with umber
Did you know?
The mineral deposits of Italy provided sources of a number of natural pigments, among them umber. Since the late Renaissance, umber has been in great demand as a coloring agent. When crushed and mixed with paint, it produces an olive color known as raw umber; when crushed and burnt, it produces a darker tone known as burnt umber.
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Bridget Arsenault, Forbes, 10 July 2022 Governor Sarhadi, a spare-looking man with a gray beard, wore a black turban and a short umber shawl, called a patou. Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2022 And two similar shades, a pinkish umber and warm copper, are both in stock at Amazon. Jessica Leigh Mattern, PEOPLE.com, 10 Sep. 2021 Her skin was a shade or two darker than Nella's chestnut complexion, falling somewhere between hickory and umber. Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, 1 June 2021 Burlap and Barrel’s version, which is made from a particular variety of tomato grown along the coastline of the Aegean Sea in Turkey and dried in the sun, on the other hand, is an orangey-umber color, with a saltier, tangier taste. Sarah Jampel, Bon Appétit, 12 Apr. 2021 The brown pigment umber (obtained from a dark brown clay) is caused by the combination of two color molecules: iron oxides (which have a rusty red-brown color) and manganese oxides (which add a darker black-brown color). Science Buddies, Scientific American, 14 May 2015 Ultramarine and burnt umber combine into a distinctly sweet and mysterious black. New York Times, 5 Feb. 2020 But in Texas the umber of murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults per 100,000 people is still higher than the national average. Laura Garcia, ExpressNews.com, 11 Dec. 2019 See More
Noun
The rich umber wood used throughout is also a nod to the past. Bridget Arsenault, Forbes, 10 July 2022 Governor Sarhadi, a spare-looking man with a gray beard, wore a black turban and a short umber shawl, called a patou. Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2022 And two similar shades, a pinkish umber and warm copper, are both in stock at Amazon. Jessica Leigh Mattern, PEOPLE.com, 10 Sep. 2021 Her skin was a shade or two darker than Nella's chestnut complexion, falling somewhere between hickory and umber. Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, 1 June 2021 Burlap and Barrel’s version, which is made from a particular variety of tomato grown along the coastline of the Aegean Sea in Turkey and dried in the sun, on the other hand, is an orangey-umber color, with a saltier, tangier taste. Sarah Jampel, Bon Appétit, 12 Apr. 2021 The brown pigment umber (obtained from a dark brown clay) is caused by the combination of two color molecules: iron oxides (which have a rusty red-brown color) and manganese oxides (which add a darker black-brown color). Science Buddies, Scientific American, 14 May 2015 Ultramarine and burnt umber combine into a distinctly sweet and mysterious black. New York Times, 5 Feb. 2020 But in Texas the umber of murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults per 100,000 people is still higher than the national average. Laura Garcia, ExpressNews.com, 11 Dec. 2019 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
probably from obsolete English, shade, color, from Middle English ombre, umbre shade, shadow, from Anglo-French, from Latin umbra — more at umbrage
First Known Use
Noun
1568, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Adjective
1802, in the meaning defined above
Verb
1610, in the meaning defined above