noun
Uncommon
Brownie
BROW-nee
Brownie (noun) means a small, dense, usually fudgy chocolate cake cut into squares. Example: “She baked a batch of brownies for the school fair.”
noun
1
A small, dense, usually fudgy chocolate cake cut into squares.
"On a Saturday afternoon, my wife bought her favorite treat for dessert that evening, a gourmet, nut-filled brownie."
— Aaron Lazare, On Apology (2005)
"Order for the brownie was placed but it took half an hour to prepare it."
"She baked a batch of brownies for the school fair."
2
A junior member of the Girl Guides or Girl Scouts.
"After all, the meetings were held at my own house and my own mother was the queen. Doesn′t that make me some sort of Brownie princess? Apparently not. As we graduated from Brownies to Girl Scouts, Mom was again my leader."
— Kim Perone, Vacuum Like No One Is Watching (2011)
"Her daughter joined the local Brownies group at age seven."
How to use Brownie
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a chocolate cake square, or (capitalised) a young Girl Scout/Guide.
Common pairings
chocolate brownie
a batch of brownies
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Word forms
- Plural
- Brownies
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She baked a batch of _____ for the school fair.
Etymology
The Girl Scout sense comes from an 1870 children's story about helpful, elf-like creatures called brownies; the cake sense arose separately in America around 1900, most likely just describing its brown colour.
Class of 1870
Brownie joined the language around 1870.
See the full Class of 1870 →
Related words
Rhymes for Brownie
See all rhymes for Brownie →Frequently asked questions
What does “Brownie” mean?
The word “Brownie” means a small, dense, usually fudgy chocolate cake cut into squares. In plain terms, either a chocolate cake square, or (capitalised) a young Girl Scout/Guide.
How do you pronounce “Brownie”?
“Brownie” is pronounced BROW-nee (/ˈbɹaʊni/ in IPA).
How do you use “Brownie” in a sentence?
Here is “Brownie” used in a sentence: “She baked a batch of brownies for the school fair.”
What part of speech is “Brownie”?
“Brownie” is a noun.
Where does the word “Brownie” come from?
The word “Brownie” dates back to around 1870. The Girl Scout sense comes from an 1870 children's story about helpful, elf-like creatures called brownies; the cake sense arose separately in America around 1900, most likely just describing its brown colour.
Is “Brownie” a common word?
“Brownie” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “Brownie” have?
“Brownie” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small, dense, usually fudgy chocolate cake cut into squares.
