umber Hear it!

umber1 definition

um·ber (um′bər)

noun

  1. a kind of earth containing oxides of manganese and iron, used as a pigment: raw umber is yellowish-brown; burnt, or calcined, umber is reddish-brown
  2. a yellowish-brown or reddish-brown color

Etymology: Fr (terre d')ombre < It (terra d')ombra, lit., (earth of) shade, prob. < L umbra, a shade, shadow (but based on ? Umbria)

adjective

of the color of raw umber or burnt umber

transitive verb

to color with or as with umber
umber2 definition

um·ber (um′bər)

noun

  1. Now Dial. shade; shadow
  2. a common European grayling (Thymallus thymallus)

Etymology: ME < OFr umbre (Fr ombre) < L umbra: see umber

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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