brownstone

English

Brownstones in Harlem, New York City

Etymology

From brown +‎ stone.

Noun

brownstone (countable and uncountable, plural brownstones)

1. (uncountable) A variety of brown to red-brown sandstone once popular as a building material.
2. (countable) A row house built of brownstone, especially in New York City.
   • 1979, Talking Heads, Life During Wartime:

     Lived in a brownstone, lived in the ghetto, I’ve lived all over this town.

   • 2014 October 9, James Poniewozik, “Review: The Affair: More Than Meets the "I"”, in Time‎^[1]:

     Did I mention he lives in a fantastic, expensive-looking brownstone? Did I mention that he’s a published novelist? Did I mention that he’s an involved, attentive father?

   • 2020, N. K. Jemisin, The City We Became, Orbit, page 203:

     They emerge from the car to face a pair of brownstones, stately narrow things, which seem to have been similarly renovated and decorated.

Derived terms

• brownstoned
• brownstoner

 

Translations

variety of brown to red-brown sandstone

row house built of brownstone

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} grés brun

Anagrams

• brown notes