Chartreuse
/ʃɑːrˈtruːz/noun
A yellow-green color; also a French herbal liqueur made by Carthusian monks.
Did you know?Chartreuse is named after the Grande Chartreuse monastery in France, where Carthusian monks began making their famous herbal liqueur in the 18th century, and the color name came later from the drink’s vivid green-yellow hue.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
χάρτης (khártēs)
“Papyrus, sheet of paper, or document”
Latin
Latin
carta
“Paper, document, or charter”
Old French
Old French
chartre
“Charter or document”
17th-18th Century
French
Chartreuse
“The Carthusian monastery at La Grande Chartreuse; later the liqueur made there”
Late 19th Century
English
chartreuse
“A yellow-green color named after the liqueur”
Explore more surprising origins