Added 9 October 2026
drab
/dɹæb/ noun
Latin root: drappus Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about drab at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
adjective
-
Lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise.
her drab personality
-
Lacking brightness or color; dull.
drab faded curtains
- Of a light brownish green color.
Origin
Probably from Middle French and Old French drap (“cloth”), either: * from Late Latin drappus (“drabcloth, kerchief; piece of cloth”), most likely from Gaulish *drappo, from Proto-Indo-European *drep- (“to scratch, tear”); or * from Frankish *drapi, *drāpi (“that which is fulled, drabcloth”), from Proto-Germanic *drap-, *drēp- (“something beaten”), from *drepaną (“to beat, strike”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrebʰ- (“to beat, crush; to make or become thick”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)