tawny

1 of 2

adjective

taw·​ny ˈtȯ-nē How to pronounce tawny (audio)
ˈtä-nē
tawnier; tawniest
1
: of the color tawny
2
: of a warm sandy color
the lion's tawny coat
tawniness noun

tawny

2 of 2

noun

plural tawnies
: a brownish-orange to light brown color

Examples of tawny in a Sentence

Adjective the tawny coat of a lion
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Grey herons, tawny owls, bats, seagulls, groundhogs, badgers, rabbits and even the occasional fox or boar from the suburbs have been treated at the hospital. Jess McHugh, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 The presence of these two genetic variants can predict gray plumage coloration in tawny owls with an accuracy of 70-100%. Grrlscientist, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024 Cook until the soup is a deep, tawny color and the olive oil has risen to the top, about 45 minutes; season with salt and pepper as needed. Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Feb. 2024 In recent years, shades like muted sage and tawny neutrals quickly overtook more optimistic hues. Marisa Spyker, Southern Living, 8 Feb. 2024 Most Popular Meanwhile, at the SoHo pop-up of Audrey Gelman’s home goods store The Six Bells in New York City, the tree was decorated without ornaments—instead lavished with sprays of burgundy, mustard, and tawny brown velvet bows. Jocelyn Silver, Vogue, 20 Dec. 2023 Worn pin-straight and waist-long, the toffee shade found grounding via deep brunette roots and a complementary tawny ensemble. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 7 Dec. 2023 It is crowded into a cast-iron casserole with a tawny pool of gravy, almost as sticky as jelly, and flaky roasted potatoes that have been joined together with big chips of fried Parmesan. Pete Wells, New York Times, 5 Dec. 2023 This is essentially an aged tawny port made with white grape varieties. Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 30 Nov. 2023
Noun
Kylie Jenner was strutting through the marble halls of the Petit Palais trying to find her seat for Schiaparelli, shoehorned into spiky stilettos and a black velvet one-arm gown, a full-size tawny lion’s head jutting from the side. Vanessa Friedman, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2023 With black markings around his eyes and framing his white muzzle, the tawny, sleek lion was often caught on wildlife cameras mid-prowl. Justine McDaniel, Washington Post, 17 Dec. 2022 Gio Ponti chairs or those by Verner Panton, while friend groups can crash with a bottle of Barolo on a sumptuous tawny De Sede couch. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 2 Aug. 2022 And there the animal was, in a photo made famous in 2013 in National Geographic: tawny, sinewy, prowling below the Hollywood sign. Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2022 So when LeBrun and colleagues found a type of fungus that seems to only target tawny crazy ants, they were immediately intrigued. Corryn Wetzel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2022 Another key neutral in the block heel boot department is brown, from deep, chocolate tones to tawny and cinnamon shades. Laura Lajiness, Vogue, 13 Nov. 2021 Wrapped in fur coats, one tawny and the other a deep chestnut, Grandma Bea and Aunt Doris are gilded, coiffed, and made up to the nines. Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2021 For winemakers considering the port route, Karlicek said deciding whether to go ruby or tawny would be the first step. Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, 19 Aug. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tawny.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French tané, tauné, literally, tanned, from past participle of tanner to tan

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tawny was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near tawny

Cite this Entry

“Tawny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tawny. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tawny

1 of 2 adjective
taw·​ny ˈtȯ-nē How to pronounce tawny (audio)
ˈtän-ē
tawnier; tawniest
: of the color tawny
tawniness noun

tawny

2 of 2 noun
plural tawnies
: a brownish orange to light brown color

More from Merriam-Webster on tawny

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!