umber
/ˈʌmbə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈʌmbər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈəm-bər/ (ame, mw)
umber — noun
1. a dark brown colour that sits between brown and olive-yellow, often used in arti
a dark brown colour that sits between brown and olive-yellow, often used in artists' paints and as a colour name in design.
João chose an umber shade for the background of his landscape painting.
collocation: umber shade / umber tone
The walls were painted a warm umber that made the room feel cosy.
Burnt umber is a darker, richer version of the natural pigment.
Mizuki mixed raw umber with white to create a soft brown for the pottery glaze.
文法句型
umber
用法筆記
Often found in the phrases 'raw umber' (a greenish-brown) and 'burnt umber' (a darker reddish-brown), which are standard names in artists' paint ranges.
常見錯誤
2. a natural brown earth containing iron and manganese oxides, dug from the ground
a natural brown earth containing iron and manganese oxides, dug from the ground and used as a permanent colouring material in painting.
The artist ground raw umber into a fine powder before mixing it with linseed oil.
verb collocation: grind umber
Umber from the hills near Umbria in Italy was prized by Renaissance painters.
etymological context: named after Umbria
Cyrus bought a small tube of burnt umber at the art supply shop.
Unlike modern synthetic colours, natural umber does not fade when exposed to sunlight.
文法句型
umber
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (DARK BROWN COLOUR): sense 2 refers to the actual earthy material dug out of the ground, not just the colour it produces. The word 'umber' historically comes from the name of the Italian region Umbria, where this earth was first mined.
umber — adjective
- umberpositive
- umberercomparative
- umberestsuperlative
1. having a dark brown colour like that of umber pigment; typically used to describ
having a dark brown colour like that of umber pigment; typically used to describe the look of paint, fabric, surfaces, or natural materials.
Camille wore an umber coat that matched the autumn leaves on the ground.
The old wooden table had an umber finish from years of polish and dirt.
collocation: umber finish
Ritu chose umber curtains to give the room a warm, natural feel.
The umber rocks of the canyon stood out against the bright blue sky.
- brown
much more common and general; umber specifies a particular dark brown
- dark brown
descriptive rather than a colour name; less precise than umber
文法句型
umber + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used before a noun (attributive position); uncommon in predicative position ('the paint is umber' would sound unusual — use 'umber-coloured' instead).
umber — verb
- umberpresent simple I / you / we / they
- umbers3rd person singular
- umbering-ing form
- umberedpast simple
1. to colour or darken something with umber pigment, or to give something a brownis
to colour or darken something with umber pigment, or to give something a brownish tone that resembles the effect of umber.
The artist umbered the shadows in the portrait to give them more depth.
passive possible: be umbered
Esteban umbered the edge of the canvas before adding the lighter colours.
The old photograph had been umbered by age, its bright whites now a soft brown.
Yael umbered the background wash to create a warm glow behind the main figure.
文法句型
umber + object
用法筆記
Very rare in everyday English; most often encountered in technical art-writing or in the passive participle form ('umbered' meaning 'darkened to a brownish tone'). For everyday speech, 'paint with umber' or 'colour with umber' is more natural.