Maroon (US & UK /məˈruːn/ mə-ROON, Australia /məˈroʊn/ mə-RONE) is a dark brownish red 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 fifth.