brown is the same as mulatto, cafuzo or caboclo, that is, a person with different ethnic ancestry and who are based on a mixture of skin colors between whites, blacks and indigenous people.
Brown is one of the five ethnic color groups that make up the Brazilian population, according to the classification of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics - IBGE, together with white, black, yellow and indigenous peoples. According to the 2014 IBGE census, 45% of the Brazilian population declares themselves brown.
A brown person is considered mestizo, as it presents a strong mixture between one or more ethnic groups. As a result, these individuals tend to have a brownish (brown) skin tone.
Know the difference between race and ethnicity.
Historically, the idea of pardo as a “color and race” emerged in Brazil during the colonial period. At that time, the pardo was understood as an intermediate “social caste”, with whites (Europeans) at the top of this “hierarchical racial chain” and blacks (slaves) in the most excluded condition.
Generally speaking, the brown color is also used to qualify the hue that varies between yellow and dark brown.
Example:"I want a manila envelope".
See also the meaning of the expression "At night all cats are gray".