View source for Taupe

{{Short description|Dark brown color between brown and gray}}
{{About|a color|the hairpiece or partial wig of natural or synthetic hair worn to cover partial baldness or for theatrical purposes|Toupée}}
{{Pp-pc1}}
{{Infobox color
 |title=Taupe
 |hex=483C32
 |source={{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20121122220208/http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-t.htm ISCC-NBS]}}
 |isccname=Dark grayish brown
}}

'''Taupe''' ({{IPAc-en|pron|'|t|oʊ|p|}} {{respell|TOHP|'}}) is a dark [[gray]]-[[brown]] color. The word derives from the French noun ''taupe'' meaning "[[Mole (animal)|mole]]". The name originally referred only to the average color of the [[European mole|French mole]], but beginning in the 1940s, its usage expanded to encompass a wider range of shades.<ref name="StClair">{{Cite book|title=The Secret Lives of Colour|last=St. Clair|first=Kassia|publisher=John Murray|year=2016|isbn=9781473630819|location=London|pages=256–257|oclc=936144129}}</ref>

Taupe is a vague color term which may refer to almost any grayish brown or brownish gray, but true taupe is difficult to pinpoint as brown or gray.<ref name="StClair" />

According to the ''Dictionary of Color'', the first use of "taupe" as a color name in English was in the early 19th century; but the earliest citation recorded by the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' is from 1911. In 1846 it was claimed that "All shades of grey are fashionable en neglige, particularly pearl grey, iron grey, and taupe."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article681249 |title=Fashions for January. |newspaper=[[The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser]] |volume=IV |issue=196 |location=New South Wales |date=20 May 1846 |access-date=8 June 2017 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37158676 |title=Theatricals. |newspaper=[[The Australian (1824 newspaper)|The Australian]] |volume=III |issue=492 |location=New South Wales |date=21 May 1846 |access-date=8 June 2017 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==Description==
{{color swatch|#483C32|Taupe (<code>#483C32</code>)|right}}
[[File:Talpa europaea MHNT.jpg|thumb|left|A [[Mole (animal)|mole]]]]

Taupe colors fall into a range from dark [[Tan (color)|tan]] to grayish brown or brownish gray.  The word derives from the French noun {{Lang|fr|taupe}}, which in turn is from the [[Latin]] {{Lang|la|talpa}}, both meaning "[[Mole (animal)|mole]]" (the mammal).<ref>{{OED|taupe}} {{subscription required}}</ref> The name originally referred only to the average [[color]] of the [[European mole|French mole]],<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York: 1930 McGraw-Hill p. 205; Discussion of Color Taupe, p. 183.</ref> but (as in the case of the colors [[pink]] and [[lavender (color)|lavender]]), beginning in the 1940s, its usage expanded to encompass a wider range of shades.

Taupe is a vague color term which may refer to almost any grayish-brown, brownish-gray, or warm gray color. It often overlaps with tan and even people who use color professionally (such as [[designer]]s and [[artist]]s) frequently disagree as to what "taupe" means. Taupe itself, however, is not directly correlated with such colors as purple or pink. There is no single, generally recognized authority for such terms, but the addition of such colors can create a wider variety of shades which can benefit either art.

When viewed on a precisely calibrated monitor, the color displayed adjacent matches the color sample called '''taupe''' referenced in the 1930 book ''A Dictionary of Color'', the world standard for color terms before the invention of [[computer]]s.  However, the word ''taupe'' may often be used to refer to lighter shades of taupe today, and therefore another name for this color is '''dark taupe'''.

According to the ''Dictionary of Color'', the first use of "taupe" as a color name in English was in the early 19th century,<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 205; Discussion of Color Taupe, p. 183; Color Sample of Taupe: p. 55 Plate 16 Color Sample A6</ref> but the earliest citation recorded by the ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' is from 1911.<ref>''Oxford English Dictionary''; citing the ''[[Times Colonist|Daily Colonist]]'' of [[Victoria, British Columbia]], dated 5 April 1911.</ref>

The [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Color/Normalized Color Coordinates|normalized color coordinates]] for taupe are identical to [[Lava (color)#Dark lava|dark lava]], which was formalized as a color name in the [[ISCC–NBS system]] in 1955.<ref>{{cite web |title=ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Colo(u)r Names (1955) |website=tx4.us |url=http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-l.htm |access-date=2022-10-11 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122220617/http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-l.htm |archive-date=2012-11-22}}</ref>

==Variations of taupe==

===Pale taupe (mouse)===
The first recorded use of ''mouse'' as a color name in [[English language|English]] was in 1606.<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 199; Color Sample of Mouse: p. 53 Plate 15 Color Sample C6</ref>

{{clear}}

===Light taupe===
{{Infobox color
 |title=Light Taupe
 |hex=B38B6D
 |source=[[List of Crayola crayon colors|Crayola]]
 |isccname=Light brown}}

'''Light taupe (dark tan)''' is the light tone of taupe that is the color called ''taupe'' in [[Crayola]] colored pencils.

{{clear}}

===Mauve taupe===
{{main|Mauve}}
{{Infobox color
 |title=Mauve Taupe
 |hex=915F6D
 |source={{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20121122220715/http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-m.htm ISCC-NBS]}}
 |isccname=Grayish purplish red}}

Adjacent is displayed the color '''mauve taupe'''.

The first recorded use of ''mauve taupe'' as a color name in [[English language|English]] was in 1925.<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 203; Color Sample of Mauve Taupe p. 37 Plate 7 Color Sample C8</ref>

The [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Color/Normalized Color Coordinates|normalized color coordinates]] for mauve taupe are identical to [[Raspberry (color)#Raspberry glacé|raspberry glacé]], first recorded as a color name in English in 1926.<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 202; color sample of Raspberry Glacé: p. 31 Plate 4 Color Sample F4</ref>
{{-}}

===Rose taupe===
{{Infobox color
 |title=Rose Taupe
 |hex=905D5D
 |source={{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20121122220715/http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-r.htm ISCC-NBS]}}
 |isccname=Grayish red}}

The color displayed adjacent is '''rose taupe'''.

The first recorded use of rose taupe as a color name in [[English language|English]] was in 1924.<ref>Maerz and Paul ''A Dictionary of Color'' New York:1930 McGraw-Hill p. 203; Color Sample of Rose Taupe p. 55 Plate 16 Color Sample A4</ref>
{{-}}

===Sandy taupe===
{{Infobox color
 |title=Sandy Taupe
 |hex=967117
 |source={{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20121122220715/http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-t.htm ISCC-NBS]}}
 |isccname=Moderate olive brown}}

Adjacent is displayed the color '''sandy taupe'''.

This color is also called ''taupe sand''.
{{-}}

===Taupe gray===
{{Infobox color
 |title=Taupe Gray
 |hex=8B8589
 |source={{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20121122220715/http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-t.htm ISCC-NBS]}}
 |isccname=Medium gray}}

Displayed adjacent is the color '''taupe gray'''.
{{-}}

===Deep taupe===
{{infobox color
 |title=Deep Taupe
 |hex=7E5E60
 |source=[http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/colorfinder.aspx Pantone TPX]<ref>Type the words "Deep Taupe" into the indicated window on the Pantone Color Finder and the color will appear.</ref>
 |isccname=Grayish red}}

The color '''deep taupe''' is displayed adjacent. 

The source of this color is the "[[Pantone]] Textile Paper eXtended (TPX)" color list, color #18-1612 TPX—Deep Taupe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/colorfinder.aspx|title=Find a Pantone Color – Quick Online Color Tool|last=Pantone|website=www.pantone.com}}</ref>
{{-}}

===Taupe brown===
{{Infobox color
 |title=Taupe Brown
 |hex=674C47
 |source={{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20121122220715/http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-t.htm ISCC-NBS]}}
 |isccname=Grayish reddish brown}} 

The color '''taupe brown''' is a very dark shade of tan that almost appears brown and is displayed adjacent. 

This is the color shown as the color ''taupe brown'' in ISCC-NBS color sample #46.

===Taupe Beige===
{{Infobox color
 |title=Taupe Beige
 |hex=927C66
 |source={{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20121122220715/http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-t.htm ISCC-NBS]}}
 |isccname=Grayish reddish brown}} 

The color '''Taupe Beige''' color offers a palette of natural and warm colours.

This is the color shown as the color ''taupe brown'' in ISCC-NBS color sample #46.

Another name for this color is '''medium taupe'''.
{{clear}}

==See also==
*[[List of colors]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20171018165901/http://tx4.us/nbs/nbs-t.htm ''ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Color Names'' (1955)]}}—Color dictionary used by stamp collectors to identify the colors of stamps—see samples of the various tones of taupe displayed on the indicated page.
* [https://www.architecturelab.net/what-is-taupe-color/ "Learn What Taupe Color is and How You Should Actually Use It"], [https://www.uauim.ro/galerie/proiecte/971/ Architect Anton Giuroiu] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918084151/https://www.uauim.ro/galerie/proiecte/971/ |date=2020-09-18 }}, [[Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism]], Bucharest, Romania
* [https://www.couleurtaupe.com/nuancier-et-codes-de-couleur-taupe/ Taupe Color Chart and Color Codes]

{{Shades of grey|US=yes|state=autocollapse}}
{{Shades of brown}}

[[Category:Shades of brown]]
[[Category:Shades of gray]]