See Also: sombre(dictionary)
sombre(dictionary)

sombre (iou)



sombre adjective, noun, & verb. Also *somber. M18.
[Old & mod. French use as adjective of Old French noun (= Catalan, Spanish, Portuguese sombra shade), ult. from Latin sub SUB- + umbra shade, shadow.]
A. adjective.
Characterized by the presence of gloom or shadow; depressingly dark. M18.
M. F. Maury The sombre skies and changeable weather of our latitudes. Quiller-Couch For many miles nothing but sombre moors..stretching away.
Gloomy in spirit or mood; oppressively solemn or sober, grave; dismal, foreboding. M18.
M. Sinclair Looking at the graves..with a sombre..interest. L. Strachey Victoria..succeeded in instilling..cheerfulness into her uncle's sombre court. Observer We stand on the threshold of a sombre decade.
(Of colouring) dark, dull; of a dark or dull shade. E19.
J. Wilkes The olive-tree..is a sombre brown.
b. noun. Sombre character; sombreness. rare. L18.
C. verb trans. & intrans. Make or become sombre. literary. L18.
J. G. Whittier This lake..Walled round with sombering pines.
sombrely adverb M19.
sombreness noun M19.
sombrous adjective (now rare) = SOMBRE adjective E18.