Etymology

Probably originally a code used in some hospitals; some hospitals today still use code brown to one or another kind of environmental or hazardous-material emergency.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

  Category:English terms with audio pronunciation#CODEBROWN

Noun

code brown (plural code browns)Category:English lemmas#CODEBROWNCategory:English nouns#CODEBROWNCategory:English countable nouns#CODEBROWNCategory:English multiword terms#CODEBROWNCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#CODEBROWNCategory:Pages with entries#CODE%20BROWNCategory:Pages with 1 entry#CODE%20BROWN

1. (humorousCategory:English humorous terms#CODEBROWN) The situation of a person defecting in an undesirable location (e.g. hospital bed or retail store), requiring cleanup.

   Coordinate term: code yellow

   • 2005 September 9, Bruce Michaud, “Dog-day misery in Aisle 16”, in North of Tampa, St. Petersburg Times, page 2:

     I hear the store speaker call for a cleanup crew: "Code brown on Aisle 2 with a possible runaway cart track to 16."

     Category:English terms with quotations#CODEBROWN