Also 3 wudebrune, 4 wodebron, 4–5 -broun, 6 (? erron.) woodbroney. [f. WOOD sb.1 6 + BROWN.]

1

  † 1.  The herb bugle, Ajuga reptans, in reference to the brownish tint of the leaves. Obs.

2

c. 1265.  Voc. Plants, in Wr.-Wülcker, 554/7. Buglosa, i. bugle, i. wudebrune.

3

a. 1387.  Sinon. Barthol. (Anecd. Oxon.), 13. Bugla, bugle, i. uodebroun.

4

  ¶  Glossing L. fraxinus ash-tree.

5

a. 1400.  Stockh. Med. MS., 188. Hertwourt or wodebroun, f[r]axinus.

6

1597.  Gerarde, Herbal, Suppl. Woodbroney is Fraxinus.

7

  2.  [partly after G. holzbraun.] The brown color characteristic of wood (see quot. 1805). Also as adj.

8

1805.  T. Weaver, trans. Werner’s Ext. Charact. Fossils, 63. Wood-brown is a very pale colour, being a mixture of yellowish-brown and much ashes-grey.

9

1839.  Macgillivray, Brit. Birds, II. 367. The wings and tail wood-brown.

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1866.  Mrs. Whitney, Leslie Goldthwaite, ii. The loveliest balmoral I ever saw in my life!… Why, you’ll look like a hamadryad, all in these wood-browns!

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