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ebony

Syllabification: (eb·on·y)
Pronunciation: /ˈebənē/
Translate ebony | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of ebony

noun

  • 1heavy blackish or very dark brown timber from a mainly tropical tree.
  • a very dark brown or black color:his smile flashed against the ebony of his skin [as modifier]:his ebony hair
  • 2a tree of tropical and warm-temperate regions that produces ebony.
    • Genera Diospyros and Euclea, family Ebenaceae: numerous species, in particular D. ebenum
  • used in names of trees of other families that produce similar timber, e.g., Jamaican (or American) ebony.

Origin:

late Middle English: from earlier ebon (via Old French and Latin from Greek ebenos 'ebony tree'), perhaps on the pattern of ivory

ebony in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of ebony in the British & World English dictionary

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