English Explanatory Dictionary

ebony

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A hard, dense, deep black wood from various subtropical and tropical trees, especially of the genus Diospyros.
  2. A tree that yields such wood.
  3. A deep, dark black colour.
  4. Dark skin colour.
  5. A black key on a piano or other keyboard instrument (as opposed to ivory).
adj
  1. Made of ebony wood.
  2. A deep, dark black colour.
  3. Dark-skinned; black; especially in reference to African-Americans.
name
  1. A female given name from English.
  2. A stereotypical African-American woman.

Pronunciation

/ˈɛb.ən.i/ en-au-ebony.ogg

Word forms

ebony ebonies more ebony most ebony

Etymology

From earlier heben, hebeny, from Middle English ebenif, hebenyf (influenced by Late Latin hebeninus), from Ecclesiastical Latin ebenius (“of ebony”), from Latin hebenus (“ebon tree”), from Ancient Greek ἔβενος (ébenos), from Egyptian hbnj, U13:n-Z4:M3

Synonyms

onyx raven

Related words

ebon Ebonics ebonise ebonite calamander cocuswood tendu Iben Kalama Shaniqua Stone-cum-Ebony

Derived words

Ceylon ebony ebonify ebonist ebonize ebony boghaunter ebony bug ebonylike green ebony India ebony Jamaican ebony macassar ebony mun ebony Samoan ebony Texas ebony West Indian ebony ebony spleenwort
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