ebony
1
6.7
- noun
- /ˈɛbəni/
:
ébano
- A theoretical anthropologist, his arms and legs replaced by assemblages of ebony, cedar, and ivory by a race of mechanically inclined torturers, lay spread-eagled on his bed, asleep.
- ebony and rosewood
Examples
-
But the lee of Cape Orion was still distant, and these white-and-ebony water ridges would be mountains in the middle of the sound.
Fiction book (1994) -
A mask that will have carved permanent detail requires a denser variety such as iroko (Chlorophora excelsa), ebony (Diospyros), or mahogany (Swietenia).
Academic text (1994) -
They're two huge Ebony trees that kind of frame the house.
-
Logs of ebony and trees of myrrh, all for your new treasure city.
-
The hall is filled with more potted plants and massive furniture of Indian ebony and marble.
Blog text (22) -
In the period between the two European wars, he was responsible for the inception of ebony carving in Nigeria, and he also taught for a while at King's College, Lagos, the premier colonial high school.
Academic text (1997) -
"Were it made of ebony," Saramago writes, "we should probably have to classify the chair that is falling as being perfect, and by using verbs such as to classify or categorize, we will prevent it from falling, or only let it fall very much later, for example, a hundred years hence, when its fall would no longer be of any use to us."
Blog text (13) -
The artisan crafted beautiful furniture from ebony, showcasing its rich, dark hues.
-
She displayed a stunning ebony sculpture on the shelf, admired for its smooth finish and deep color.
-
This exquisite desk is made of ebony, known for its durability and luxurious appearance.
Synonyms
A tropical tree with very hard dark wood used for furniture and carving
A tropical tree from southern Asia with very hard, dark wood used for fine furniture and musical instruments
Compounds
A small fern with shiny black stems and delicate green leaves that grows on rocky, shaded ground
A very hard, almost black wood that people use for fine furniture and musical instruments
- Indian
A small Asian tree with hard dark wood and pink or white orchid-like flowers
How Hard
Surface Forms
Etymology
Ebony comes from an old Greek word ebenos for the tropical tree that makes the dark, hard heartwood used in fine objects. That's why ebony can mean the tree itself as well as the dark wood it gives.