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Added 9 October 2026

brown

/ˈbɹaʊ̯n/ noun

In Latin: aquilus Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about brown at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A colour like that of chocolate or coffee.
The browns and greens in this painting give it a nice woodsy feel.
One of the colour balls used in snooker, with a value of 4 points.
Black tar heroin.

adjective

Having a brown color/colour.
Of or relating to any of various ethnic groups having dark pigmentation of the skin. Latino/Latin American of color. South Asian or sometimes Middle Eastern or North African Southeast Asian, Pacific Islander, or sometimes Native American
Latino/Latin American

verb

To become brown.
Fry the onions until they brown.
Synonym of poop (“to defecate”).
I've just browned myself.
To cook something until it becomes brown.

Origin

Inherited from Middle English broun, from Old English brūn (“brown; dark; dusky”), from Proto-West Germanic *brūn, from Proto-Germanic *brūnaz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH-. Doublet of bruin. * Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish brun * Ancient Greek φρύνη (phrúnē), φρῦνος (phrûnos, “toad”)

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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