1. Dark coppery red or reddish brown.
2. Etymology: from Old French auborne, from Middle Latin alburnus, "off-white, whitish"; from Latin albus, "white".

It came into English meaning "yellowish-white, flaxen", but shifted in the 16th century to "reddish-brown" under the influence of Middle English brun, "brown", which also changed the spelling.

Another source states that it comes from Old French; influenced in the sense by the similarity of the variant spelling abrun to brun, "brown"; from Medieval Latin alburnus "whitish" and Latin albus, "white".