ebony tree
- noun
- /ˈɛbəni tri/
- Indian
:
árbol de ébano
- They're two huge Ebony trees that kind of frame the house.
Examples
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The furniture was crafted from an ebony tree, known for its exquisite dark wood.
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Many artisans prefer using ebony tree wood for its durability and rich color.
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He admired the intricate carvings made from ebony trees inlaid on the cabinet.
Synonyms
1
6.7
A tropical tree that makes very hard dark wood for furniture
A tropical tree from southern Asia with very hard, dark wood used for fine furniture and musical instruments
A small Asian tree with hard dark wood and pink or white orchid-like flowers
A tree from the Caribbean with very hard greenish wood used for furniture and instruments
A Caribbean tree that makes hard green wood used for fine furniture and instruments
How Dark
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is fully compositional: 'ebony' refers to the dark heartwood or tree species and 'tree' denotes the plant, so 'ebony tree' simply means a tree that yields or is of ebony. This follows a straightforward noun + noun modification pattern common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words would understand the meaning.
Etymology
Ebony tree gets its name from the very dark, almost black wood the tree makes, with ebony meaning that deep black wood and tree the plant that gives it. Because this wood is very hard and was used for fine furniture and carving, the name now suggests strong, valuable dark wood.