beige
/beɪʒ
/ /beɪdʒ /noun [mass noun]
A pale sandy fawn colour: tones of beige and green [as modifier]: a beige raincoat...
- Twenty-two blended shades of blues, greens, reds and beiges were studied and formulated into five accepted tones for the aircraft cabins.
- Long stretches of peeling-paint one and two storey buildings, with molded plastic signs whose reds and whites are well on their way to turning to muted pinks and beiges.
- She also said buyers are tired of beige on beige, and blue is an excellent alternative.
Synonyms
fawn, brownish-yellow, pale brown, buff, sand, sandy, oatmeal, wheaten, biscuit, coffee, coffee-coloured, café au lait, camel, kasha, ecru, taupe, stone, stone-coloured, mushroom, putty, greige;
neutral, natural, naturelle
Origin
Mid 19th century (denoting a usually undyed and unbleached woollen fabric of this colour): from French, of unknown ultimate origin.
Beige was first used for a woollen fabric which was usually undyed and unbleached, and then used for things of a similar colour. The immediate source is French, but earlier details are unknown. The colour greige—halfway between beige and grey appears in the 1920s.