a. 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 color; now, of a golden-brown or ruddy-brown color.
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. Drumm. of Hawth., 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-sb.
1852. D. Moir, Christm. Musings, v. Wks. II. 254. Thy tresses in the breeze Floating their auburn.
