auburn

/ˈɔ.bɚn/

Ɔ · bɚn (2 syllables)

English Noun Top 32,666

Definition

A dark reddish-brown colour, often used to describe hair colour.

Etymology

Early Modern English auburn (“brown, reddish brown”) from Middle English aubourne, abron, abroune, abrune (“light brown, yellowish brown, blond”), alteration (due to conflation with Middle English brun (“brown”)) of earlier auborne (“yellowish-white, flaxen”) from Old French auborne, alborne (“blond, flaxen, off-white”) from Medieval Latin alburnus (“whitish”), from Latin albus (“white”). More at albino, brown.