russet

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   reddish-brown or brown with an orange tint

   Russet leaves covered the path beneath the oaks.

2. 2
   noun

   a reddish-brown or brownish-orange color

   At dusk the hills faded from russet to gray.

3. 3
   noun

   historical: a coarse, usually reddish-brown homespun woolen cloth or clothing made from it

   The laborer wore a plain tunic of russet.

4. 4
   noun

   a variety of apple or potato with rough brownish skin

   She baked a russet until its skin was crisp.

Simplified etymology

Russet came into Middle English through Anglo-Norman French from Latin russus, “red.” It first named a coarse homespun woollen cloth, often reddish-brown, grey, or neutral; it became a colour term in the 15th century and named a type of apple in the late 17th century.

From Middle English russet and Anglo-Norman or Old French rousset, 'reddish' and 'coarse reddish-brown cloth,' a diminutive related to rous, 'red.' The cloth name produced the color term; the fruit and potato senses refer to rough brown skin resembling that color and texture.

Topics

External links

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