Il avait les yeux noisette...

Question

Why does noisette not become plural in this case? I can´t figure this out. I don´t see a double adjective with colors. I also don´t see hazel as a thing like an orange. Maybe that´s what I´m missing.? Is it actually a hazelnut or something? Can you explain this one to me? Thanks so much!

Accepted Answer

Bonjour Thad,
To supplement Maarten's explanation, in French, the colour 'noisette' (which comes from the word 'hazelnut') is derived from the food/nut 'noisette' (= hazelnut). Therefore it doesn't agree as an adjective, just like 'orange' or 'marron'. 
See link here: des yeux noisette
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !

Answer

Hazel isn’t a thing, but ‘noisette’ is, as is ‘hazelnut’ in English. https://www.wordreference.com/fren/noisette