ivory

[ ahy-vuh-ree, ahy-vree ]
See synonyms for: ivoryivories on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural i·vo·ries.
  1. the hard white substance, a variety of dentin, composing the main part of the tusks of elephants, walruses, etc.

  2. this substance when taken from a dead animal and used to make carvings, billiard balls, etc.

  1. some substance resembling this.

  2. an article made of this substance, as a carving or a billiard ball.

  3. a tusk, as of an elephant.

  4. dentin of any kind.

  5. Slang. a tooth, or the teeth.

  6. ivories, Slang.

    • the keys of a piano or of a similar keyboard instrument.

  7. Also called vegetable ivory. the hard endosperm of the ivory nut, used for ornamental purposes, for buttons, etc.

  8. a creamy or yellowish white.

  9. a smooth paper finish produced by coating with beeswax before calendering.

adjective
  1. consisting or made of ivory.

  2. of the color ivory.

Origin of ivory

1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French ivurie, from Latin eboreus, noun use of neuter adjective, equivalent to ebor- (stem of ebur ) “ivory” + -eus adjective suffix; compare Egyptian ab, abu, Coptic eb, ebu “ivory, elephant,” Sanskrit íbhaḥ “elephant”; see -eous

Other words from ivory

  • i·vo·ry·like, adjective

Words Nearby ivory

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ivory in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ivory (1 of 2)

ivory

/ (ˈaɪvərɪ, -vrɪ) /


nounplural -ries
    • a hard smooth creamy white variety of dentine that makes up a major part of the tusks of elephants, walruses, and similar animals

    • (as modifier): ivory ornaments

  1. a tusk made of ivory

    • a yellowish-white colour; cream

    • (as adjective): ivory shoes

  1. a substance resembling elephant tusk

  2. an ornament, etc, made of ivory

  3. black ivory obsolete Black slaves collectively

Origin of ivory

1
C13: from Old French ivurie, from Latin evoreus made of ivory, from ebur ivory; related to Greek elephas ivory, elephant

Derived forms of ivory

  • ivory-like, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for Ivory (2 of 2)

Ivory

/ (ˈaɪvərɪ) /


noun
  1. James. born 1928, US film director. With the producer Ismael Merchant, his films include Shakespeare Wallah (1964), Heat and Dust (1983), A Room With a View (1986), and The Golden Bowl (2000)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for ivory

ivory

[ īvə-rē ]


  1. The hard, smooth, yellowish-white substance forming the teeth and tusks of certain animals, such as the tusks of elephants and walruses and the teeth of certain whales. Ivory is composed of dentin.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.