beige

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a pale sandy yellowish-brown or grayish-brown color, like undyed wool

   The walls were painted a warm beige that reflected the afternoon light.

2. 2
   adj

   having a pale sandy yellowish-brown or grayish-brown color

   She chose a beige coat that matched almost everything she owned.

3. 3
   adj

   figurative: safe, conventional, or lacking distinctive character

   The committee produced a beige proposal designed to offend no one.

Simplified etymology

Beige entered English from French in the mid-19th century, first denoting a woollen fabric that was usually undyed and unbleached. It was then applied to things of a similar colour. Its history before French is unknown.

Borrowed from French beige, originally referring to the natural color of undyed wool. The French word probably continues a regional Romance form ultimately connected with Late Latin byssus, 'fine linen or cotton.' The figurative sense extends the neutral color to bland conventionality.

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary