Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A state of deep thought.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun idiomatic, dated A melancholy mood accompanied by deep thought; a moody daydream.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a state of deep absorption or thoughtfulness

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[brown, gloomy + study, mental state.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From obsolete brown ("gloomy") and study.

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Examples

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Comments

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  • I found him over head and ears in a brown study. What is the matter, my friend? said I, seemingly there is something upon your mind.

    - Lesage, The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, tr. Smollett, bk 5 ch. 1

    September 19, 2008