tête de nègren.
/tɛt də ˈnɛɡrə/ Now disused (offensive).
A dark brown colour approaching black. Usually attributive. Cf. nigger-brown at nigger n. and adj. Compounds 3.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > colour > named colours > brown or brownness > [noun] > dark brown
burneta1450
chocolate colour1729
chocolate-brown1766
chocolate1785
mocha1895
mocha brown1895
nigger1914
nigger-brown1915
tête de nègre1916
cocoa1923
charcoal brown1959
peat1971
1916 in G. Howell In Vogue (1975) 20/1 (advt.) Tête de Negre..Hat, gold embroidery.
1923 Daily Mail 5 Mar. 15/3 A striking gown..is worn over a slip of tete de negre silk.
1973 Country Life 22 Feb. 455/1 Design of baskets of spring flowers..on a tete de nègre (that is a not dead black) ground.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1986; most recently modified version published online September 2018).
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n.1916