Definition of umber

• n. - A brown or reddish pigment used in both oil and water colors, obtained from certain natural clays variously colored by the oxides of iron and manganese. It is commonly heated or burned before being used, and is then called burnt umber; when not heated, it is called raw umber. See Burnt umber, below.
• n. - An umbrere.
• n. - See Grayling, 1.
• n. - An African wading bird (Scopus umbretta) allied to the storks and herons. It is dull dusky brown, and has a large occipital crest. Called also umbrette, umbre, and umber bird.
• a. - Of or pertaining to umber; resembling umber; olive-brown; dark brown; dark; dusky.
• v. t. - To color with umber; to shade or darken; as, to umber over one's face.