brindle

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   an animal coat pattern of irregular dark streaks or patches on a lighter brown, tawny, or gray background

   The dog's brindle formed dark stripes across its tawny coat.

2. 2
   adj

   having a coat or surface marked with such irregular streaks or patches

   A brindle cow stood apart from the solid-colored cattle.

Back-formed from brindled, a variant of older brinded, 'marked with dark streaks.' Brinded is probably related to brand in its older sense of a mark or streak, although the detailed history is uncertain.

Topics