auburn

auburn — adjective

1. having a warm brown colour with a clear red tone, especially when describing hai

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

having a warm brown colour with a clear red tone, especially when describing hair.

Example

Lena's auburn hair shone under the station lights.

common collocation: auburn hair

In the class photo, Eva's auburn braid reached her waist.

before noun with hair word

Common collocations
  • auburn hair
  • auburn braid
  • auburn beard
  • auburn curls
  • dark auburn
Synonyms
  • reddish-brown

    gives the colour plainly and can describe many objects, not only hair.

  • chestnut

    often describes hair too, but usually suggests a darker brown with less red.

  • coppery

    suggests a brighter orange-red shine than auburn.

Grammar Patterns

auburn hair

auburn curls

auburn beard

look auburn

dye something auburn

Usage Note

Most often describes hair, but it can also describe beards, fur, or wigs. In everyday use, speakers usually name the hair or similar feature, rather than calling a person auburn by itself.

Common Mistakes

She has auburn.
She has auburn hair.
auburn is usually an adjective, so it normally needs a noun such as hair or beard.
He dyed his hair in auburn.
He dyed his hair auburn.
after dye, English usually puts the new colour directly after the object.

auburn — noun

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

For this sense, auburn is mainly a hair-colour word. Reddish-brown gives the colour idea directly and can describe many things, so it is broader and less tied to hair. Chestnut is also common for hair, but it often suggests a deeper brown with less visible red. Coppery points to a brighter orange-red shine and can feel more vivid than auburn. If a story says a girl has auburn hair, the image is usually soft and warm. If it says coppery hair, the colour sounds brighter. You might describe a horse as chestnut, but people more often describe a person's curls as auburn.

auburn ↗reddish-brownchestnutcoppery

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Auburn came into English from an older French form, and its history is unusual because the word did not originally mean this red-brown colour. Earlier stages were linked to a Latin word meaning a pale or off-white shade. In English, the form gradually shifted and later became associated with brown and red tones, which led to the modern meaning used especially for hair.