Drab is a dull, light-

brown Brown is a color. It can be considered a composite color, but it is mainly a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model used in printing and painting, brown is usually made by combining the colors Orange (colour), orange and black. In the ...

color. It originally took its name from a fabric of the same color made of undyed, homespun

wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...

. The word was first used in English in 1686. It probably originated from the

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th

cloth Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, and different types of fabric. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is n ...

. The Wikipedia:WikiProject Color/Normalized Color Coordinates">normalized color coordinates Normalization or normalisation refers to a process that makes something more normal or regular. Science * Normalization process theory, a sociological theory of the implementation of new technologies or innovations * Normalization model, used in v ...

for drab are identical to

sand dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

, mode beige and bistre brown, which were first recorded as color names in English, respectively, in 1925, 1928, and 1930. The word gradually came to mean dull, lifeless, or monotonous.

Drab (cloth)

Drab was a term used for cloths with specific colors such as dull browns, yellowish or gray. The Drab of heavy woolen was produced in

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

, England. It was a thick, sturdy structure used for overcoating.

In military uniforms

Several shades of drab have been used for

military uniform A military uniform is a standardised clothing, dress worn by members of the armed forces and Paramilitary, paramilitaries of various nations. Military dress and styles have gone through significant changes over the centuries, from colourful ...

s, including the above-mentioned light-

color. The greenish shades of drab, known as olive drab, were used as the colors of the U.S. Army uniforms and equipment during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

References

External links

{{shades of brown Shades of brown Woven fabrics