Wiktionary

brunette

See also: Brunette, brünette, and Brünette

English

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A brunette woman

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH-?
Proto-Germanic *brūnaz
Frankish *brūnbor.
Old French brun
Proto-Indo-European *-tós
Proto-Italic *-tosder.?
Late Latin -ittus
Old French -et
Old French brunet
Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂
Proto-Italic *-ā
Latin -am
Old French -e
Old French brunete
French brunettebor.
English brunette

    Borrowed from French brunette, the feminine form of brunet, from brun (“brown”). Doublet of burnet.

    Pronunciation

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    Adjective

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    brunette (not comparable)

    1. (of hair, especially of a woman) Of a brown color or tone.
      Hyponym: (dated) brownette
      1. (dated, strictly) Of a dark brown color or tone.
        Coordinate term: (dated) brownette
        • 1962 January 22, Betty Chason, “Vanity Fair”, in The News Tribune, volume 59, number 37, Fort Pierce, Fla., →OCLC, page 6, column 7:
          Frosting and Tipping of your hair is for winter hi-fashion. It adds hi-lights to any brunette or brownette hair, softens the looks and adds body to the hair.
        • 1980 December 25, Cindy Adams, “Dr. [Joyce] Brothers moves; Tiny Tim’s new lady”, in The Sentinel-News, volume 40, number 93, Shelbyville, Ky., →OCLC, page 12-A, column 3:
          Hey, kiddies, Christopher Reeves,[sic] who has dark brunette locks whilst winging through the air as “Superman,” has light brownette hair in person.
        • 1985 December 10, Emily Wilkens, quoting E.T., “A New You: Coloring over the gray roots prevents ‘bald spot’ problem”, in The Star-Ledger, final edition, volume 72, number 285, Newark, N.J., →OCLC, page 78, column 1:
          I originally had very dark brunette hair but I have been going gray for years. […] I have my hair colored brownette with blonde highlights.
    2. (of a person, especially female) Having brown hair.
      Synonym: (uncommon) brune
      Hyponym: (dated) brownette
      1. (dated, strictly) Having dark brown hair.
        Coordinate term: (dated) brownette
        • 1940 February 28, “Rice Owl Conducts Survey on Preferences of Men Students”, in The Houston Chronicle, home edition, volume 39, number 138, Houston, Tex., →ISSN, →OCLC, section A, page 9, column 2:
          The survey asked for preferences in smoking and drinking, and whether they preferred blonde, brunette, or red-haired or brownette women as dates.
        • 1940 December 7, “Gifts that will linger in Memory”, in The Australian Women’s Weekly, →ISSN, →OCLC, “The Movie World” section, page 29, column 3:
          MAX FACTOR ★ HOLLYWOOD has created these luxurious Gift Sets in Color Harmony shades for blonde, brownette, brunette or red-head types. Every woman is interested in the gift which will reveal her individual loveliness.
        • 1962 June 14, Maureen Counihan, “There Is Nothing Lovelier Than Soft Brownette Hair”, in The Lexington Herald, volume 92, number 142, Lexington, Ky., →OCLC, page 42, column 7:
          And 70 per cent of American women are naturally brunette or brownette; […]

    Derived terms

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    Translations

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    Noun

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    brunette (plural brunettes)

    1. A person, especially female, with brown hair.
      Synonym: (uncommon) brune
      Hyponym: (dated) brownette
      • 1866, Luke Owen Pike, “The Evidence of Physical Characteristics”, in The English and Their Origin. A Prologue to Authentic English History., London: Longmans, Green, and Co., pages 145–146:
        And M. [Henri-François-Alphonse] Esquiros, in describing the Dutch generally, speaks of beauties both blondes and brunettes, ‘for black hair is not uncommon in the Netherlands.’ These words seem to imply that black hair does not preponderate; and, if not, there must be a marked difference between the Dutch and the English. Here again is confirmation of the opinion that the modern English are somewhat more dark-haired than the ancient Saxons.
      • 1946, William Hatfield, Buffalo Jim, Oxford: Geoffrey Cumberlege, page 70:
        The housekeeper, a very decorative brunette of thirty-five with a pseudo-English accent, greeted him with a mixture of grateful effusion and condescending patronage.
      • 2020, Eleanore King, Glorify Yourself:
        Brownheads or brunettes use a darker red than blondes and redheads.
      1. (dated, strictly) A person, especially female, with dark brown hair.
        Coordinate term: (dated) brownette
        • 1947 September 5, “Sears”, in The Kansas City Star, main edition, volume 67, number 336, Kansas City, Mo., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 18, column 6:
          FOR THE BLONDE. . . […] FOR THE BROWNETTE. . . […] FOR THE REDETTE. . . […] FOR THE BRUNETTE. . . whose coloring is accented with nationally known Barbara Gould beauty aids— […]
        • 1960 January 21, John Robinson, “In This Corner”, in The Hamilton Spectator, home edition, volume CXV, number 17, Hamilton, Ont., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 31, column 6:
          The models were very attractive indeed (blondes, brunettes, brownettes but no redettes) but on the slim side.
        • 1965 November 25, Furman Bisher, “I’m Thankful”, in The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution, final edition, volume 16, number 27, Atlanta, Ga., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 2-D, column 1:
          I’m thankful for brunettes. And brownettes. And redettes. And blondettes.

    Derived terms

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    Translations

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    See also

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    Anagrams

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    Danish

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    Etymology

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    Borrowed from French brunette, the feminine form of brunet, from brun (“brown”).

    Pronunciation

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    • IPA(key): /brunɛtə/, [b̥ʁuˈnɛd̥ə]

    Noun

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    brunette c (singular definite brunetten, plural indefinite brunetter)

    1. brunette (a girl or woman with brown or black hair)

    Inflection

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    Declension of brunette
    common
    gender     		singular plural
    indefinite definite indefinite definite
    nominative brunette brunetten brunetter brunetterne
    genitive brunettes brunettens brunetters brunetternes

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    Dutch

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    Alternative forms

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    Etymology

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    Borrowed from French brunette.

    Pronunciation

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    • IPA(key): /ˌbryˈnɛ.tə/
    • Audio:(file)
    • Hyphenation: bru‧net‧te
    • Rhymes: -ɛtə

    Noun

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    brunette f (plural brunettes or brunetten, diminutive brunetje n or brunettetje n)

    1. brunette (brown-haired or dark-haired female)

    Descendants

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    • Afrikaans: brunet

    Adjective

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    brunette

    1. inflection of brunet:
      1. masculine/feminine singular attributive
      2. definite neuter singular attributive
      3. plural attributive
    2. dated form of brunet

    French

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    Etymology

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    Etymology tree
    Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH-?
    Proto-Germanic *brūnaz
    Frankish *brūnbor.
    Old French brun
    Proto-Indo-European *-tós
    Proto-Italic *-tosder.?
    Late Latin -ittus
    Old French -et
    Old French brunet
    Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂
    Proto-Italic *-ā
    Latin -am
    Old French -e
    Old French brunete
    French brunette

      From Old French brunete, equivalent to brunet +‎ -e.

      Pronunciation

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      Noun

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      brunette f (plural brunettes)

      1. brunette
        Synonym: brune

      Descendants

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      Further reading

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      Italian

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      Noun

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      brunette f

      1. plural of brunetta

      Norwegian Bokmål

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      Etymology

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      From French brunette.

      Noun

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      brunette f or m (definite singular brunetta or brunetten, indefinite plural brunetter, definite plural brunettene)

      1. a brunette (woman or girl with dark brown hair)

      References

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      Norwegian Nynorsk

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      Etymology

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      From French brunette.

      Noun

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      brunette f (definite singular brunetta, indefinite plural brunetter, definite plural brunettene)

      1. a brunette (as above)

      References

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