Maroon

Maroon is a dark color. It looks like a brownish red.

The name comes from a French word for chestnut.

It is a very special shade. Some monks wear maroon robes. The flag of Qatar uses it too. Many schools use maroon for their colors. Some sports teams are even called the Maroons. It is a color used all over the world. Do you see maroon near you?

Maroon is a dark color. It looks like a brownish red.

The name comes from the French word *marron*. This word means chestnut.

People use this color in many ways. Some Buddhist monks wear maroon robes. In the Philippines, some people wear it for religious events. You can also see it on flags. The flag of Qatar uses maroon and white. The flag of Sri Lanka uses maroon, gold, teal, and orange.

Many schools pick maroon as a special color. They often pair it with white, gold, or blue. Because of this, many sports teams use the name "Maroons." For example, the University of the Philippines has teams called the Fighting Maroons. In Australia, the Queensland rugby team is often called the Maroons.

Even soldiers use this color. Many airborne forces wear a maroon beret. This is a type of cap. In Japan, a train company uses maroon as its main color. They chose it after a vote by women in 1923.

It is a color found all over the world.

Maroon is a deep and rich color. It is often described as a brownish-red.

Different dictionaries describe it in slightly different ways. The Cambridge English Dictionary calls it a dark reddish-purple. Other sources, like Lexico, call it a brownish-red. Some people might even see it as a dark brown. It is a shade that sits near colors like burgundy, claret, and crimson. On the web, maroon is made by making pure red much darker. It is the opposite color of teal.

The name maroon has a long history. It comes from the French word *marron*. In French, this word means chestnut.

The word actually travels through many languages. It moved from medieval Greek to Italian before reaching French. The first time English speakers used the word for a color was in 1789. You can find this color in a box of Crayola crayons. Since 1958, the Crayola maroon has been a shade between brown and rose. In 1990, they even made a metallic version called mystic maroon.

Many people use maroon to show who they are. In religion, Vajrayana Buddhist monks wear maroon robes. In the Philippines, people wear maroon for the Black Nazarene procession on January 9. Maroon is also used on many national flags. The flag of Qatar uses maroon and white. The flag of Sri Lanka uses maroon, gold, teal, and orange. Even the state of Queensland in Australia chose maroon as its official color in November 2003. People there wear maroon to show pride at big events.

Maroon is very common in schools and sports. Many universities use it as a main color. For example, Fordham University and Texas A&M use maroon and white. Boston College and the University of Minnesota use maroon and gold. Because of this, many teams are called the "Maroons." The University of Chicago Maroons chose their name in 1894. The University of the Philippines has teams called the Fighting Maroons. In Australia, the Queensland rugby team is also known as the Maroons.

Other groups use maroon for special jobs. Many soldiers wear a maroon beret, which is a type of cap. The British Parachute Regiment has used them since 1942. In Japan, the Hankyu Railway uses maroon as its signature color. This happened after women voted for it in 1923. Even in games, you can find this color. The number 7 and 15 billiard balls are often maroon. In horse racing, the number 14 horse uses a maroon saddle cloth. It is a color that connects many different parts of our world.

Maroon is a deep, rich color that sits between red and brown. While people often describe it as a brownish-red, different dictionaries offer slightly different definitions. The Cambridge English Dictionary calls it a dark reddish-purple. Lexico and Dictionary.com define it as a brownish-red or dark brownish-red. Other sources, like the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, describe it as a brownish-crimson or claret color. Because these shades overlap, maroon is closely related to colors like burgundy, claret, mulberry, and crimson.

In the digital world, maroon is created using the sRGB color model. This model is used for additive color representation on screens. To create the web color maroon, designers take pure red and turn down its brightness to about one half. This results in a specific shade with the values R=115, G=24, and B=44. Interestingly, maroon is the complement of the web color called teal. This means they sit opposite each other on the color wheel.

The name of the color has deep linguistic roots. It is derived from the French word *marron*, which means chestnut.

This word actually traveled through several languages over many centuries. It moved from medieval Greek into Italian, and then into French. The first recorded use of maroon as a color name in the English language occurred in 1789. This connection to the chestnut nut gives the color its warm, earthy feeling.

Maroon holds significant meaning in various religious and national traditions. In Vajrayana Buddhism, monks like the Dalai Lama wear maroon robes. In the Philippines, Catholic devotees wear maroon and golden yellow during the Black Nazarene procession on January 9. The color also appears on several national flags. The flag of Qatar uses maroon and white. The flag of Sri Lanka features maroon alongside gold, teal, and orange. Even the flag of Latvia has used maroon and white in the past.

Many organizations use maroon to build a sense of identity and pride. In 1923, the Hankyu Railway in Japan chose maroon as its signature color through a vote by women customers. In the military, the maroon beret is a famous symbol. Many airborne forces wear it, including the British Parachute Regiment, which has used the color since 1942. The regiment is even nicknamed the "Maroon Machine." Historically, the Portuguese Army also used maroon to identify its Caçadores, or rifle, regiments.

Educational institutions and sports teams frequently adopt maroon as an official color. Many universities use maroon in various combinations, such as maroon and white, maroon and gold, or maroon and blue. For example, Fordham University and Texas A&M use maroon and white. The University of Minnesota and Boston College use maroon and gold. Because of this, many teams carry the nickname "Maroons." The University of Chicago Maroons have used this name since a vote on May 5, 1894. The University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons have used the name since the 1930s.

Maroon also appears in specific commercial products and games. Since 1958, Crayola has produced a maroon crayon that is a bright shade between brown and rose. In 1990, they introduced "mystic maroon," which is a metallic color from the Silver Swirls set. You can also find the color in sports and games. In pool, the 7 and 15 billiard balls are traditionally maroon. In North American thoroughbred horse racing, the horse numbered 14 uses a maroon saddle cloth with a yellow number.