noun
ebony
EHB-uhn-ee
noun
1
A hard, dense, nearly black wood from certain tropical trees, prized for furniture and instruments.
"The chess set was carved from ebony and pale maple."
2
A deep black colour.
"Her hair was a rich ebony that shone under the lights."
adj
1
Deep black, or made from ebony wood.
"He wore an ebony ring carved by a local craftsman."
"The piano's ebony keys had been polished to a high shine."
How to Use Ebony
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA very dark, dense wood — or simply a deep black colour, as in "ebony hair."
Common pairings
ebony wood
ebony keys
ebony and ivory
Word Forms
more ebony comparative, ebonies plural, most ebony superlative
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The chess set was carved from _____ and pale maple.
Etymology
From Latin hebenus and ultimately Egyptian hbnj, via Greek ébenos — the same root word travelled through several languages before settling as "ebony" in English.