Maroon (US & UK /məˈruːn/ mə-ROON, Australia /məˈroʊn/ mə-RONE) is a dark brownish red color which takes its name from the French word marron, or chestnut.
The Oxford English Dictionary describes it as "a brownish crimson or claret color."
In the RGB model used to create colors on computer screens and televisions, maroon is created by turning down the brightness of pure red to about one half.
Maroon is derived from French marron ("chestnut"), itself from the Italian marrone, from the medieval Greek maraon.
The first recorded use of maroon as a color name in English was in 1789.
Displayed on the right is the bright tone of maroon that was designated as maroon in Crayola crayons beginning in 1949.
It is a bright medium shade of maroon halfway between brown and rose.
The color halfway between brown and rose is crimson, so this color is also a tone of crimson.
Displayed on the right is the color rich maroon, i.e. maroon as defined in the X11 color names, which is much brighter and more toned toward rose than the HTML/CSS maroon shown above.
See the chart Color name clashes in the X11 color names article to see those colors which are different in HTML/CSS and X11.
Displayed on the right is the web color dark red.
Books
In The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris, the serial killer Dr Hannibal Lecter has eyes that are described as being "maroon" brown, and are noted to often appear to glow red.
Maroon is frequently associated with Ron Weasley, a character in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, though Ron tells Harry that he dislikes the color.
Business
Maroon is the main color of the Hollister Co. logo.
Maroon was the livery applied to coaching stock of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (1923–1947), and to much of that of British Railways in the period 1956–1965.
Maroon is the signature color of the Japanese private rail company, Hankyu Railway, decided by a vote of women customers in 1923. In the 1990s, Hankyu planned an alternative color as it was developing new vehicles. That plan was called off following opposition by local residents.
Government
Maroon is the traditional color associated with the historic County of Midlothian and the wider Lothian region in Scotland, chosen to symbolize the blood of the Heart of Midlothian. It is the color of the football strip of the Edinburgh team Heart of Midlothian F.C. and the Edinburgh bus fleet operated by Lothian Buses
Maroon was named as the official color of the state of Queensland, Australia, in November 2003. While the declared shade of maroon is RGB 115/24/44, Queenslanders display the spirit of the state by wearing all shades of maroon at sporting and cultural events.
Maroon is the official color of the Socialist Party of America.
Military
The distinctive maroon beret has been worn by airborne forces around the world since 1942.
Music
Maroon (band), a German band.
Maroon 5 is a pop rock band.
The Famous Maroon Band.
Religion
Vajrayana Buddhist monks, such as the Dalai Lama, wear maroon robes.
Maroon, along with golden yellow, is worn in the Philippines by Catholic devotees of the Black Nazarene, especially during its procession on 9 January.
School colors
Many universities, colleges, high schools and other educational institutions have maroon as one of their school colors. Popular combinations include maroon and white, maroon and grey, and maroon and gold.
Maroon is the official school color of The University of Chicago.
Maroon and gold are the official school colors of Shimer College, representing the University of Chicago and the Mount Carroll Seminary respectively.
Maroon and black are the official school colors of University College School.
Maroon and white are the official school colors of Texas A&M University.
Maroon and white are the official school colors of Northbrook High School.
Maroon and white are the official school colors of Moline High School.
Maroon and light grey are the official school colors of McMaster University
Maroon and white are the official school colors of Tarpon Springs High School.
Maroon and white are the official school colors of Lower Merion High School.
Maroon and gold are the official school colors of Arizona State University.
Maroon and gray are the official school colors of Texas Southern University.
Maroon and cream are the official school colors of Alma College.
Maroon and white are the official school colors of Missouri State University.
Maroon and white are the official school colors of Fordham University.
Maroon and white are the official school colors of Alabama A&M University.
Maroon and white are the official school colors of the College of Charleston.
Maroon and white are the official school colors of Morehouse College.
Maroon and white are the official school colors of Colgate University.
Maroon and white are the official school colors of the University of Massachusetts.
Maroon and white are the official school colours of Uppsala University.
Maroon and gold are the official school colors of the University of Minnesota.
Maroon and gold are the official school colors of the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Maroon and gold are the official school colors of Boston College.
Maroon and orange are the official school colors of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Maroon is also the official color of Gamma Phi Omega International Sorority Inc.
Maroon and forest green are the official school colors of the University of the Philippines.
Maroon (along with gold and white) is the official color of the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA.
Maroon and gold are the official colors of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Laboratory High School
Maroon and silver are the official colours of New World University in the Commonwealth of Dominica.
Maroon and gray are the official school colors of North Carolina Central University.
Maroon and white are the official school colors of Mississippi State University and the name of the university's Alma mater.
Mascot
Sports teams often use maroon as one of their identifying colors, as a result many have received the nickname "Maroons".
Maroons was the official nickname of the athletic teams representing Mississippi State College, now Mississippi State University from 1932 until 1961 when it was officially changed to the Bulldogs. Bulldogs had been used as an unofficial nickname as far back as 1905.
Vexillology (The study of Flags)
Maroon and white are the colors of the Flag of Qatar. The Flag of Latvia is sometimes called maroon and white, but the legal colors were red and white, but in 2009 the colors were changed to carmine and white.
