Murrion

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term denoting a kind of reddish-brown or tawny color often associated with certain types of clothing or fabric
2. Referring to a specific hue that can be described as both earthy and warm, typically seen in textiles
3. An adjective used to characterize shades that are rich, warm, and reminiscent of autumnal tones

Etymology: The word "murrion" is an alternative spelling of "morion", and its story runs through a helmet before it reaches a colour. A morion was a open-brimmed steel helmet with a high crest, worn by infantry in the 16th and 17th centuries. Its name came into French as "morion" and then into English from Spanish "morrión", which was derived from "morra", meaning the upper part of the head. That word traces back to "morro", meaning muzzle or snout, and ultimately to a Vulgar Latin "murrum" with the same sense. The colour sense is not the original meaning. Historically the word named the helmet, and the reddish-brown sense belongs to the spelling "murrion" as a separate use, so the connection between the armour and the colour is one of form rather than a clearly documented shift. The chain of ideas from snout to skull to helmet is the part the source confirms, and it is the core of the word's history.