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
The interiors are also a design aficionado’s dream, with everything from emerald green Gio Ponti chairs to a tawny De Sede couch. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 9 Sep. 2024 Giant panes of glass, skylights, tawny wood siding. Sandra Upson, WIRED, 25 July 2024
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 See all Example Sentences for tawny 

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 4 Oct. 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
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