auburn, a.
(ˈɔːbɜːn)
Forms: 5–7 aborne, -ourne, 6 alborne, auberne, aberne, 6–7 auborn(e, abourn, aburn(e, 9 auburne, 8– auburn; also 6 abron, abrun(e, 7 abroun, abrown.
[a. OF. alborne, auborne:—L. alburnus (= subalbus, Du Cange) nearly white, whitish. In 16–17th c. written abron, abrune, abroun (cf. apron, aperne), which prob. originated, or at least encouraged, the idea that auburn was a kind of brown (an etymology actually adopted by Richardson), and so helped to modify the signification of the word.]
orig. Of a yellowish- or brownish-white colour; now, of a golden-brown or ruddy-brown colour.
| 1430 Lydg. Chron. Troy ii. xv, Aborne heyr crispyng for thicknesse. 1481 Caxton Myrr. ii. xvii. 103 The rayes of the sonne make the heer of a man abourne or blounde. 1533 Elyot Cast. Helth (1541) 2 Heare blacke or darke aburne. 1547 Boorde Brev. Health lvi. 25 Alborne heare and yelowe heare commethe of a gentyl nature. 1576 T. N[ewton] Lemnie's Touchst. Complex. (1633) 58 Faire aburne or chesten colour. 1580 Baret Alv. A 715 Light auborne, subflauus, subrutilus. 1591 Percivall Sp. Dict., Rojo, abrun headed, Subrufus. 1599 Hall Sat. iii. v. 8 Whose curled head With abron locks was fairely furnished. a 1649 Drummond of Hawthornden Jas. I Wks. 1711, 16 His hair was abourn, a colour between white and red. a 1697 in Masson Milton (1859) I. 275 ‘He had light brown hair,’ continues Aubrey,—putting the word ‘abrown’ (‘auburn’) in the margin by way of synonym for ‘light brown.’ 1808 Scott Marm. v. ix, And auburn of the darkest dye, His short curled beard and hair. 1859 Geo. Eliot A. Bede 61 The rays..lit up her pale red hair to auburn. |
b. absol. quasi-n.
| 1852 D. Moir Christm. Musings v. Wks. II. 254 Thy tresses in the breeze Floating their auburn. |