Drab (color)
Drab is a dull, light-brown color.[1] It originally took its name from a fabric of the same color made of undyed, homespun wool. The word was first used in English in 1686.[2] It probably originated from the Old French word drap, which meant cloth.[1]
The normalized color coordinates for drab are identical to sand dune, mode beige and bistre brown, which were first recorded as color names in English, respectively, in 1925,[3] 1928,[4] and 1930.[5]
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, England. It was a thick, sturdy structure used for overcoating.[6][7]
In military uniforms
Several shades of drab have been used for military uniforms, including the above-mentioned light-brown 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.
References
- Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (5th ed.). Oxford University Press. 1982.
- Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 194
- Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 204; Color Sample of Sand Dune: Page 47 Plate 14 Color Sample B5
- Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 199
- Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York: 1930 McGraw-Hill Page 53 Plate 15 Color Sample C9
- Fairchild's dictionary of textiles. Internet Archive. New York, Fairchild Publications. 1959. p. 189.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ltd, Chambers W. and R. (1867). Chambers's etymological dictionary of the English language, ed. by J. Donald. p. 140.
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