Meaning & use
brown furniture
Last updated
UK/ˌbraʊn ˈfɜːnɪtʃə/
US/ˌbraʊn ˈfɜːrnɪtʃər/
Meaning
noununcountableBritishinformal
old dark wooden furniture, especially from the 18th and 19th centuries, often considered unfashionable
Grammar: Uncountable: say 'a piece of brown furniture', not 'a brown furniture'.
Patterns
- a piece of brown furniture
- brown furniture prices
The auction house specializes in brown furniture from country houses.
Young buyers today often prefer modern designs to brown furniture.
Prices for brown furniture have fallen sharply in recent years.
Common combinations
- a piece of brown furniture
- She inherited a fine piece of brown furniture from her grandmother.
- the brown furniture market
- The brown furniture market has been slow for a decade.
- brown furniture prices
- Brown furniture prices dropped after the financial crisis.
- a dealer in brown furniture
- He is a dealer in brown furniture and old paintings.
Synonyms and how they differ
- antique furniture
- Broader and more neutral; it includes light woods and fine pieces, while 'brown furniture' often suggests heavy, dark, out-of-fashion items.
- period furniture
- Focuses on the historical style rather than the color or current popularity, so it sounds more positive.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'brown furniture' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Brown furniture' is uncountable, so 'an expert in brown furniture' is correct. The others wrongly use it as a countable noun or a verb.
Make it your own
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