Khaki, in British or European parlance, is a type of
green tinged brown
fabric, or the
color of such fabric.
Traditionally pronounced "KAR-kee" (which remains common
usage in Canada), it is today more often called "KAH-kee" in
Britain and "KAA-kee" in the USA. The name comes from the
Persian
khak meaning earth-colored or dust colored
(through the Urdu language). The original khaki fabric is a
closely twilled cloth of
linen or
cotton.
Brigadier Sir
Harry Burnett Lumsden began the use of Khaki for
British Army regiments serving under him in
India in 1848. All British
troops in India adopted khaki in 1885 having previously used
white as the tropical colour. The Boers used khaki clothing
as camouflage in the first Boer War; in the second Boer War
the British did as well.
The United States Army adoped khaki, where it means a
greenish tan or sand color, during the Spanish American War
. It has become de rigeur for military uniforms of
militaries the world over (e.g. the United States Navy and
the United States Marine Corps), but has also spread to
civilian clothing, where "khakis" since the 1950s has meant
tan cotton twill trousers.
"Khaki" has also become a common slang term in the United
States Navy that refers to chief petty officers and officers
(who wear a khaki-colored
uniform, also referred to
as "khakis".)