beige

adjective BEHZH Rare

Origin: Origin uncertain; possibly from Old French bège 'natural wool colour'

Usage Note

Beige is invariable in French — it does not agree in gender or number, so it stays beige whether describing a masculine, feminine, singular, or plural noun: un manteau beige, des chaussures beige. The word passed into English essentially unchanged. In contemporary usage it can informally mean 'bland' or 'unadventurous'.

Examples

"Elle portait un manteau beige élégant."

Natural Translation

She was wearing an elegant beige coat.

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