brown water

noun

Inland (river) or coastal waters, in contrast to blue water.

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Meanings

nounbrown water (uncountable)
  1. attributiveoftenuncountablenauticalInland (river) or coastal waters, in contrast to blue water.

    […] brown-water ships and this is the factor that leads to the mismatch between ideas and practice. The other parameters of a blue - water force are better.

    2007, Atish Sinha, Madhup Mohta, Indian Foreign Policy: Challenges and Opportunities, page 953
    1 more example

    […] ships … that served … primarily or exclusively in inland waterways, … categorized as brown-water ships or [personnel] who served on such ships before or after the designated period of brown water activity are not eligible …

    2011, Committee on Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange Exposure, Institute of Medicine, Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange Exposure

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
blackwater
Cite this entry
APA

brown water. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brown%20water

MLA

“brown water.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brown%20water. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “brown water,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/brown%20water.

Source: brown water on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.