Brown Meaning
/ˈbɹaʊ̯n/Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounA colour like that of chocolate or coffee.
nounOne of the colour balls used in snooker, with a value of 4 points.
Sentence Examples
May I talk to Ms. Brown?
Mr Brown took charge of this class last year.
Leaves of various shades of brown
CEFR Practice Quiz
After baking for an hour, the cookies turned a golden ____ color.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The leaves on the trees turned ____ and gold as autumn arrived city.
Word Origin & History
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. Cognates * Dutch bruin * German braun * Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish brun * Ancient Greek φρύνη (phrúnē), φρῦνος (phrûnos, “toad”) * Latin brunneus (“brown”) * Lithuanian bė́ras (“brown”) * Sanskrit बभ्रु (babhrú, “reddish-brown”) * West Frisian brún
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"“To save a journey up the town, / A razor lent here for a brown: / But if you think the price too high, / I beg you won’t the razor try.”"
— 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, published 1861:
"I know there are many persons — some who are themselves poor — who 'never turn a beggar from their door,' but always give them a few browns (halfpence) or some scran (broken victuals)."
— 1853, Charles John Chetwynd Talbot, Meliora, Or, Better Times to Come, page 247:
""We've not had any breakfast,—won't you toss us down a brown?"—
That's what they call a penny in the streets of London Town."
— 1883, “The Omnibus”, in London Town:
"[…] browns are the soberest, bays are the worst tempered, and chestnuts are the most foolish."
— 1877, George Nevile, Horses and Riding, page 105:
"Many browns and blacks are immigrants — some of whom have not yet become naturalized citizens of the United States."
— 2005, Kristen A. Myers, Racetalk: Racism Hiding in Plain Sight:
Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
After baking for an hour, the cookies turned a golden ____ color.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The leaves on the trees turned ____ and gold as autumn arrived city.