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Maroon

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Maroon is a deep and rich color. It is often described as a brownish-red.

Chestnut02
Chestnut02

Different dictionaries describe it in slightly different ways. The Cambridge English Dictionary calls it a dark reddish-purple. Other sources, like Lexico, call it a brownish-red. Some people might even see it as a dark brown. It is a shade that sits near colors like burgundy, claret, and crimson. On the web, maroon is made by making pure red much darker. It is the opposite color of teal.

The name maroon has a long history. It comes from the French word *marron*. In French, this word means chestnut.

Chestnut02
Chestnut02

The word actually travels through many languages. It moved from medieval Greek to Italian before reaching French. The first time English speakers used the word for a color was in 1789. You can find this color in a box of Crayola crayons. Since 1958, the Crayola maroon has been a shade between brown and rose. In 1990, they even made a metallic version called mystic maroon.

Many people use maroon to show who they are. In religion, Vajrayana Buddhist monks wear maroon robes. In the Philippines, people wear maroon for the Black Nazarene procession on January 9. Maroon is also used on many national flags. The flag of Qatar uses maroon and white. The flag of Sri Lanka uses maroon, gold, teal, and orange. Even the state of Queensland in Australia chose maroon as its official color in November 2003. People there wear maroon to show pride at big events.

Maroon is very common in schools and sports. Many universities use it as a main color. For example, Fordham University and Texas A&M use maroon and white. Boston College and the University of Minnesota use maroon and gold. Because of this, many teams are called the "Maroons." The University of Chicago Maroons chose their name in 1894. The University of the Philippines has teams called the Fighting Maroons. In Australia, the Queensland rugby team is also known as the Maroons.

Other groups use maroon for special jobs. Many soldiers wear a maroon beret, which is a type of cap. The British Parachute Regiment has used them since 1942. In Japan, the Hankyu Railway uses maroon as its signature color. This happened after women voted for it in 1923. Even in games, you can find this color. The number 7 and 15 billiard balls are often maroon. In horse racing, the number 14 horse uses a maroon saddle cloth. It is a color that connects many different parts of our world.

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