Meanings
brownshirt1
Brownshirt2
plural Brownshirts · alternative brownshirt · alternative brown shirt
- historicalA uniformed member of the German Nazi Party (NSDAP), especially a storm trooper of the Sturmabteilung.
A heavy arched door was pouring a raucous and lurching party of Brownshirts on to the trampled snow. […] Half-way up the vaulted stairs a groaning Brownshirt, propped against the wall on a swastika'd arm, was unloosing, in a staunchless gush down the steps, the intake of hours.
1977, Patrick Leigh Fermor, “The Munich Hofbräuhaus”, in A Time of Gifts - Any member of a fascist party; a neofascist or neo-Nazi.
Origin
- GermanBraunhemd
- EnglishBrownshirt
Calque of German Braunhemd, the nickname for a member of the Sturmabteilung, in reference to their brown uniforms. Equivalent to brown + shirt.
More words from German
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan camisa negra
- camisa negraa uniformed member of the Nazi party
Czech hnědá košile
- hnědá košilea uniformed member of the Nazi party
Danish brunskjorte
- brunskjortea uniformed member of the Nazi party
Dutch bruinhemd
- bruinhemda uniformed member of the Nazi party
Finnish ruskeapaita
- ruskeapaitaa uniformed member of the Nazi party
French chemise brune
- chemise brunea uniformed member of the Nazi party
German Braunhemd
- Braunhemda uniformed member of the Nazi party
Italian camicia bruna
- camicia brunaa uniformed member of the Nazi party
Japanese 突撃隊員
- 突撃隊員 (totsugekitaiin)a uniformed member of the Nazi party
Polish brunatna koszula
- brunatna koszulaa uniformed member of the Nazi party
Portuguese camisa-parda, camisa-marrom
- camisa-pardaa uniformed member of the Nazi party
- camisa-marroma uniformed member of the Nazi party
- camisa-castanhaa uniformed member of the Nazi party
Romanian cămașă brună
- cămașă brunăa uniformed member of the Nazi party
Russian коричневоруба́шечник
- коричневоруба́шечник (koričnevorubášečnik)a uniformed member of the Nazi party
Spanish camisa parda, Morenazi
- camisa pardaa uniformed member of the Nazi party
- Morenazia uniformed member of the Nazi party
Swedish brunskjorta
- brunskjortaa uniformed member of the Nazi party
Cite this entry
brownshirt. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brownshirt
“brownshirt.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brownshirt. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “brownshirt,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brownshirt.
Source: brownshirt on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.