Home UK English brindle

Meaning of brindle in English:

brindle

(also brindled)

Pronunciation /ˈbrɪnd(ə)l/

See synonyms for brindle

noun

mass noun

  • 1A brownish or tawny colour of animal fur, with streaks of other colour.

    ‘coat colours included red, brindle, and yellowish cream’
    • ‘The hounds were black, red, silver-grey and brindle, tall and narrow, with tapered muzzles and dark narrow eyes.’
    • ‘Their short, close-lying coats most often occur in one color, fawn, or in one pattern, brindle.’
    • ‘The classic color is fawn with a black mask, but the breed also comes in pinto, white and brindle.’
    • ‘The coat comes in a variety of colors, including blue, black, brindle and the striking harlequin.’
    • ‘I look for one of these awesome creatures - are they bipeds, quadrupeds, spotted or brindle?’
    1. 1.1count noun An animal with a brindle coat.
      ‘he is hoping the speedy brindle can retain the cup’
      • ‘On these brindles you will find good, strong stripes on one side and very light makings on the other.’
      • ‘In breeding blue merles to brindles the only colors that really suffer will be the reds and brindles.’
      • ‘Most brindles appear striped, although some only have different shades of brown that seem more patchy.’
      • ‘There was a time in our breed history when brindles cropped up occasionally.’
      • ‘The genes responsible for our red dogs are recessive to those responsible for our brindles.’

adjective

  • (especially of a domestic animal) brownish or tawny with streaks of other colour.

    ‘a brindle pup’
    • ‘His brindled hide had lost its luster, the short hair mottled by patches of dried blood.’
    • ‘He remembered he had often cursed the brindle cow and her mates, and had sometimes flung milking stools.’
    • ‘Arnie pointed at a fat brindle cat sitting on top of a stack of hardbacks.’
    • ‘Both fawn and brindle boxers frequently sport white markings.’
    • ‘He was a deep ginger color, with darker chocolaty brindle markings.’
    • ‘A spotted one sniffed left, a brindle one sniffed right.’
    tawny, brownish, brown
    View synonyms

Origin

Late 17th century back-formation from brindled, alteration of Middle English brinded, probably of Scandinavian origin.