iron brownn.adj.

1714 Philos. Trans. 1713 (Royal Soc.) 28 224 Its outer Coat is rusty.., under which are some thin Strata of a dark or blewish hue; the Center of an Iron brown full of small Copper Micæ.

1787 C. Taylor Surv. Nature II. iv. 13 The sea eagle, inclining to white, mixed with iron brown.

1844 Lancaster Gaz. 16 Mar. The polyanthus with unnumbered dyes, The yellow cowslip tipped with iron brown.

1872 Building News 22 Mar. 244/1 Care must be taken not to confound an iron brown and its lighter shades with those I have mentioned, for the iron browns, &c., are signs for good.

1919 C. Scott Moncrieff tr. Song of Roland §224 In helmets laced and sarks of iron brown.

1975 M. Murase Japanese Art v. 320/1 Many Shino wares have painted decorations in iron brown, which were executed directly on the wet clay body.

2010 Internat. Herald Tribune (Nexis) 2 Oct. (Leisure section) 19 Undecorated ware was favored by the elite in the early part of the dynasty... In later years, the ware was painted with cobalt blue and iron brown.

1798 R. Jameson Outl. Mineral. Shetland Islands 39 This fossil by the action of the weather acquires an iron brown crust.

1845 S. Judd Margaret i. xiv. 119 The horned-pout, with its pearly iridine breast, and iron-brown back.

1898 M. Halstead Story Philippines i. 32 Even the best photographs do not do justice to..the solid mass of his head with iron-brown hair tinged with gray.

1992 Antique Dealer & Collectors Guide Jan. 35/1 Iron brown decorations on porcelain.

2011 Press (Christchurch, N.Z.) (Nexis) 6 Aug. (Features section) 9 All those foods peculiar to England... Bright yellow custard, virulent green mushy peas, iron-brown Marmite-flavoured Twiglets.