Dull, gray-brown, or lacking in color; boring or lacking in interest or excitement.
Possibly from Old French 'drap' (cloth) or directly from Middle English, with uncertain origins. Originally described a dull fabric color, then expanded metaphorically to describe anything uninteresting.
During World War II, colors like 'drab' were officially named and used for military uniforms specifically to make soldiers blend into boring backgrounds—'drab' isn't just ugly, it's strategically invisible.
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