Etymologically
Log in

drab

Etymology and origin of the English word drab

History Permalink
From
Middle French drap

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /dɹæb/[1]

Etymology

The adjective comes from the noun drab “a kind of thick woollen cloth” (1541),[2][3][4][5] from Middle French drap (“cloth”),[6][2][3][4][7] from Late Latin drappus (“piece of cloth”).[4][7] It is related to drape.[6][2][3] An older noun drab “slattern, prostitute” (about 1515) is a separate word of unknown origin,[4][3][5] perhaps Celtic[6][3] or related to Dutch drab “dregs”.[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

A kind of thick cloth of a dull yellowish-grey colour (1541).[5][2][4][3]

Semantic evolution

The cloth gave its name to its colour, recorded as drapp-colour in 1686[2] and as an adjective from 1686[4][5] or 1715.[3] The figurative sense of “dull, cheerless” appeared in 1880.[2][3][5] The unrelated noun meaning a dirty, untidy woman (about 1515) or a prostitute (about 1530) is now archaic,[5][4] and drab in dribs and drabs is another word, probably an alteration of drib.[6][4]

Timeline

  • about 1515 – a slattern, a separate word.[5][4]
  • 1541 – a thick yellowish-grey cloth.[5][2][4]
  • 1686 – adjective, dull light brown.[5][4][2]
  • 1828 – a small sum, in dribs and drabs.[5][3]
  • 1880 – figurative, dull and colourless.[5][2][3]

Modern meaning

Adjective

  1. Dull and cheerless; dreary or monotonous.
  2. Of a dull light brown or olive brown colour.
  3. Faded and dull in appearance.

Noun

  1. A dull greyish or yellowish brown colour.
  2. A thick wool or cotton cloth of this colour.
  3. (archaic) A slattern or prostitute.

Word family

  • drably
  • drabness
  • olive drab
  • dribs and drabs
  • drape

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  7. ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Drab.” Etymologically, 13 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/drab. Accessed 13 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·