ebony

American  

[eb-uh-nee] / ˈɛb ə ni /

noun

• ebonies
  plural

1. a hard, heavy, durable wood, most highly prized when black, from various tropical trees of the genus Diospyros, as D. ebenum of southern India and Sri Lanka, used for cabinetwork, ornamental objects, etc.

2. any tree yielding such wood.

3. any of various similar woods or trees.

4. a deep, lustrous black.

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adjective

1. Also made of ebony.

2. of a deep, lustrous black.

ebony British  

/ ˈɛbənɪ /

noun

1. any of various tropical and subtropical trees of the genus Diospyros, esp D. ebenum of S India, that have hard dark wood: family Ebenaceae See also persimmon

2. the wood of such a tree, much used for cabinetwork

3. 1. a black colour, sometimes with a dark olive tinge

   2. ( as adjective )

      an ebony skin

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ebonies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ebony

First recorded in 1590–1600; earlier hebeny; see ebon; -y perhaps after ivory

Explanation

Ebony is a very dark black color, or a south Asian tropical tree with hard, dark-colored heartwood. Black piano keys and black chess pieces are often made with ebony. Used as a noun or adjective, ebony derives from Greek word ebenos, meaning "ebony" and was first used in the 17th century to describe a very dark black color. Cabinetry made out of ebony was very fashionable during the Victorian era because it was imported and considered exotic, but today, because it is considered a threatened species, its uses are limited to small objects, such as animal carvings or parts of musical instruments.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ebony ebonies

Martin and Co. guitar, a seamless blend of spruce, mahogany, celluloid, ebony and mother-of-pearl.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026

The exhibition also spotlighted India's diverse range of high-quality hardwoods such as teak, rosewood and ebony, and the country's deeply-rooted traditions of intricate handcrafting by local artisans.

From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026

Christie's had dubbed the box, decorated with ebony, as "the most important scientific instrument ever offered at auction" and it had been expected to fetch 2-3 million euros.

From Barron's ● Nov. 19, 2025

Far, far away in the vastness of deep space, an ebony spaceship awaits.

From New York Times ● Feb. 21, 2024

Every button of her ebony shirt gleams with the shimmer of a serpent’s eyes.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Well-known trees such as magnolias are among the most threatened, with oaks, maple and ebonies also at risk.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2024

Oak trees, maple trees and ebonies also face threats, the report said.

From Reuters ● Sep. 1, 2021

The final space features seven sculptures, carved from Texan and Gabon ebonies.

From New York Times ● Jul. 29, 2021

If these hybrids are inbred there is a continuous series of individuals, sooties, intermediates and ebonies.

From A Critique of the Theory of Evolution by Morgan, Thomas Hunt

If the ebony, then in the second generation we count three ebonies to one sooty, putting the hybrids with the ebonies.

From A Critique of the Theory of Evolution by Morgan, Thomas Hunt