Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of residential building: A "brownstone" is a townhouse or row house built from or faced with brownstone, a specific type of sandstone. These buildings are particularly characteristic of certain historic urban neighborhoods, especially in cities like New York and Boston.
   • A type of building material: "Brownstone" is a reddish-brown sandstone that is relatively soft and easy to carve, historically used as a facing material for buildings.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Building):
  • They bought and renovated a beautiful brownstone in Brooklyn.
  • The tree-lined street was full of elegant 19th-century brownstones.
• Noun (Material):
  • The façade was clad in brownstone, giving it a warm, distinctive color.
  • Quarries in Connecticut were once a major source of brownstone.

Advanced Usage

• "Brownstone" as a metonym: The word is often used to refer not just to the physical structure but to a lifestyle or socio-economic status associated with living in such historic, often upscale, urban homes.
  • He grew up in a brownstone, a world away from my suburban upbringing.

Variants and Related Words

• Brownstoner (noun, informal): A person who lives in or is involved in renovating a brownstone building.
  • The neighborhood association is run by a group of dedicated brownstoners.

Synonyms

• Townhouse: A house that is one of a row of similar houses sharing side walls. (Note: Not all townhouses are brownstones, but brownstones are a type of townhouse.)
• Row house: A house that is part of a continuous row of houses. (This is a more general term.)
• Sandstone: The general category of sedimentary rock to which brownstone belongs.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• Brownstone belt/district: A historical or modern residential area characterized by a high concentration of brownstone buildings.
  • The tour guide led us through the famous brownstone district of the city.

Noun

1. a row house built of brownstone; reddish brown in color
2. a reddish brown sandstone; used in buildings