ebony

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a dense, hard, usually very dark wood obtained from several tropical trees

   The cabinetmaker fitted the box with an ebony handle.

2. 2
   noun

   a tropical tree of the genus Diospyros that yields ebony wood

   The slow-growing ebony was protected from illegal logging.

3. 3
   noun

   a deep, glossy black color

   The piano keys shone in polished ebony and ivory.

4. 4
   adj

   deep black in color

   She wore an ebony bracelet against the white sleeve.

From Middle English forms such as ebeny, through Latin hebenus and Greek ebenos, probably ultimately from ancient Egyptian hbnj, the name of ebony wood. The color adjective and noun developed from the wood's characteristically deep black heartwood.

Topics