Definition

1. Noun:
   • A rich brown pigment: A dark brown pigment originally prepared from the ink sac of cuttlefish, used in drawing and photography.
   • A reddish-brown color: A shade of brown with a warm, reddish tinge.
   • A drawing or photograph in this color: An image, especially an antique photograph or drawing, executed in tones of this brown color.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Pigment/Color):
  • The old map was drawn in sepia.
  • The photograph had faded to a warm sepia.
• Noun (Artwork):
  • She collects 19th-century sepia portraits.
  • The album was full of family sepia.

Advanced Usage

• "Sepia tone": Refers to the brownish color characteristic of old photographs or a photographic filter that creates this effect.
  • The photographer applied a sepia tone to give the portrait a vintage feel.
• "In sepia": Describes something rendered or appearing in this brown color.
  • The world of the old film seemed to be viewed in sepia.

Variants and Related Words

• Sepiate (adj, rare): Tinted with sepia.
• Sepia drawing (n phrase): A drawing made using sepia ink.

Synonyms

• Brown: A general term for the color.
• Umber: A natural brown pigment, but typically more yellowish or reddish.
• Bistre: A brown pigment made from soot, but usually darker and more grayish than sepia.

Idioms and Fixed Phrases

(This word is not commonly used in idioms. Its primary use is literal, describing a specific pigment, color, or artistic style.)

Noun

1. type genus of the Sepiidae
2. rich brown pigment prepared from the ink of cuttlefishes
3. a shade of brown with a tinge of red