sienna

noun

si·​en·​na sē-ˈe-nə How to pronounce sienna (audio)
plural siennas
1
: an earthy substance containing oxides of iron and usually of manganese that is brownish yellow when raw and orange red or reddish brown when burnt and is used as a pigment
2
or less commonly siena, plural sienas : a strong reddish-brown

Examples of sienna in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Here, several of the walls are a rich sienna, their hue echoed by many similar purplish browns throughout the bedroom, whether in the velvet curtains, the fuzzily abstract framed textiles by the Moroccan studio Lrnce or the heavily veined marble double sink in the adjacent en suite bathroom. Kurt Soller Clément Vayssieres, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2023 Womanly figures in flowy sienna and white robes stand in a vast ornate chamber with a vaguely alien cityscape in the background. WIRED, 20 Jan. 2023 The wall tile delivers a glossy sienna hue while the primary bedroom reads almost salmon in tone. Regina Cole, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Jan. 2023 Trending colors include black, white, burnished sienna and green tones. Michael Haug, Star Tribune, 18 Sep. 2020 Prince was wearing a loose-fitting top in a heathered sienna, with matching pants, a green vest, and a pair of beaded necklaces. Dan Piepenbring, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2019 His palette ran to burnt umber, yellow ocher, burnt sienna, olive green. Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2019 Think scarlet, peach, pink, amber, sienna, and gold versus cooler teal, eggplant, emerald, aqua, and cobalt. Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 25 July 2019 The sofa releases hints of cinnamon and orange fragrances and is available in burnt sienna and copper green. Olivia Rassow, ELLE Decor, 3 July 2014

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sienna.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Italian terra di Siena, literally, Siena earth, from Siena, Italy

First Known Use

1787, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sienna was in 1787

Dictionary Entries Near sienna

Cite this Entry

“Sienna.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sienna. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

sienna

noun
si·​en·​na sē-ˈen-ə How to pronounce sienna (audio)
: an artist's pigment that is either brownish yellow or reddish brown
Last Updated: - Definition revised
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!