What does "khaki" mean?
A dull, yellowish-brown colour, the colour of dust.
Khaki
/xɑki/ adj, noun, slang
adj, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A dull, yellowish-brown colour, the colour of dust.
- Grammar: khaki is listed as adj, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: beige, beige, brown, brownish.
- Useful contrasts: bright color, delicate fabric, soft fabric.
- Usage evidence: Khaki shorts with cargo pockets do not make you an adventurer.
How to use "khaki"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "khaki" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "khaki" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "khaki" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "khaki" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "khaki" is acting as adj, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "beige" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "khaki", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A dull, yellowish-brown colour, the colour of dust. countable, uncountable
"When you've shouted "Rule Britannia", when you've sung "God Save The Queen", When you've finished killing Kruger with your mouth; Will you kindly drop a shilling in my little tambourine For a gentleman in khaki ordered South?"
- 2 a sturdy twilled cloth of a yellowish brown color used especially for military uniforms wordnet
- 3 Khaki green, a dull green colour. countable, uncountable
"1921, War work of the Bureau of Standards, no. 46, page 54. The English Government for a long time has used a type of pigmented dope cover, khaki colored by iron pigments and lampblack, which is called P. C. 10."
- 4 A strong cloth of wool or cotton, often used for military or other uniforms. countable, uncountable
- 5 A soldier wearing a khaki uniform. countable, rare, uncountable
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A British person. South-Africa, countable, derogatory, slang, uncountable
""Frank, it's a khaki," I whisper, "keep straight on.""
- 7 Khaki clothing or uniform. countable, in-plural, uncountable
"1915 Out West magazine The porter in going through the rear coach, which was almost empty, noticed one of the occupants, a muscular, soldierly man in khakies to be apparently asleep in his seat."
Adjective
- 1 Dust-coloured; of the colour of dust.
Adjective
- 1 of a yellowish brown color wordnet
Antonyms
bright colordelicate fabricsoft fabricsynthetic fabric
Example
"Khaki shorts with cargo pockets do not make you an adventurer."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "khaki"?
Common synonyms include: beige, beige, brown, brownish, brownish-yellow, brunet.
How do you use "khaki" in a sentence?
Khaki shorts with cargo pockets do not make you an adventurer.
How do you pronounce "khaki"?
Pronounced /xɑki/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Hindustani خاکی (xākī) / ख़ाकी (xākī), from Classical Persian خَاکِی (xākī, “dusty, earthy, earth-colored”). Noun sense 5 was coined in reference to the colour of the uniform of British troops during the Second Boer War; compare rooinek.