to brown
- verb
- /braʊn/
- You should brown the ground beef in a skillet before adding it to the chili.
- browned flour
Examples
-
We use the grill of BBQ to brown it to give it the last touch.
-
A little way off from the Reeds, sunbathers lie on yellow sand, browning their bodies.
Fiction book (1999) -
Now, you see here, the secret is... to brown the meat until it's really crisp.
-
So you coat them and then you actually brown them in a pan.
-
You brown the brisket in the pot.
-
The Yorkshire's nicely browned, Mrs. Bridges.
-
Don't crowd the mushrooms, otherwise they won't brown.
-
Later, in the oven, the potato opens up like an accordion, browned, and delicious, believe me.
Fiction book (1996) -
Waffles are browning.
-
Ladle a little of the mushroom broth into the browned flour and stir until dissolved.
Academic text (1996)
Synonyms
To become darker in the sun
Make skin brown or golden, often in the sun
To give something a brown color or to become brown
Antonyms
Idioms
- Offensive
To make someone suddenly need to go to the toilet after eating
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
A type of rice with its brown outer layer left on and a nuttier, chewier taste and more fiber
A large, powerful wild animal with brown fur that lives in forests in Asia and North America
- UK
A type of bread made from whole wheat flour that is darker and denser than white bread
- Specialized
A large brown cow kept for milk that is strong, calm and lives well in different climates
- Specialized
A small brown mushroom that looks like a cup and grows on dead wood in damp places
A small burrowing animal like a mouse with brown fur and a short tail from northwestern Canada and Alaska
- Australian
A large tree from Australia and nearby islands with broad leaves used for its wood
A brown sauce made from fried onions, wine or vinegar, and parsley, served with meat
- UK
A movement for rights and cultural pride for Hispanic, Latino, and South Asian people
- Specialized
A fungus that infects plant roots and causes brown rot in crops like peas or potatoes
- Specialized
A disease of citrus trees caused by a fungus that makes bark brown and ooze sticky gum
- Specialized
A disease caused by a fungus that makes fruit like peaches and plums turn brown and decay
A savory dark sauce made from beef stock thickened with butter and flour and served with roast meat
- Specialized
A small brown insect that lives on plants, drinks their juice and weakens them
A large brown bird that sings in eastern North America with a long tail and streaked chest
- Specialized
A small freshwater catfish with whisker-like feelers and brownish skin found in the eastern United States
- Specialized
A small North American songbird with a curved beak that climbs tree trunks to find insects
- US
A large brown songbird from the eastern United States that sings and copies other birds
A small brown and white moth whose caterpillars eat the leaves of fruit and shade trees
How Brown
Surface Forms
Etymology
Brown as a verb comes from the color word that began as brun, meaning 'brown', so to 'brown' something is to make it that wood‑ or earth‑like color. That's why cooks tell you to 'brown' onions or meat to give them a deeper color and flavor.