ivory

[ ahy-vuh-ree, ahy-vree ]

/ ˈaɪ və ri, ˈaɪ vri /

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See synonyms for: ivory / ivories on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural i·vo·ries.

the hard white substance, a variety of dentin, composing the main part of the tusks of elephants, walruses, etc.

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

some substance resembling this.

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

a tusk, as of an elephant.

dentin of any kind.

Slang. a tooth, or the teeth.

ivories, Slang.

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

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

a creamy or yellowish white.

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

adjective

consisting or made of ivory.

of the color ivory.

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Origin of ivory

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

ivied, Iviza, Ivor, Ivorian, ivories, ivory, ivory-billed woodpecker, ivory black, Ivory Coast, ivory gull, ivory nut

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ivory in a sentence

Nearly two dozen species, including the iconic ivory-billed woodpecker and several kinds of freshwater mussels, were declared extinct this week by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, after years of surveys failed to turn up any of them.
What “extinction” really means — and what it leaves out|Benji Jones|September 30, 2021|Vox
These pretty wooden pumpkins, which come in a set that includes ivory and sage shades, look like the real thing.
Fall Decor You Need in Your Life Right Now|Korin Miller|September 30, 2021|The Daily Beast
In 1924, famed Cornell University ornithologist Arthur “Doc” Allen took the world’s first photograph of the ivory bill in Florida — just days before two collectors shot the mating pair.
Ivory-billed woodpecker officially declared extinct, along with 22 other species|Dino Grandoni|September 29, 2021|Washington Post
I set about cleaning, dipping a rag into a bowl of milk and carefully wiping down the ivory keys.
Should parents cry in front of their kids? I asked a psychologist, and my 9-year-old.|Cathy Alter|April 8, 2021|Washington Post

Milk, according to ’70s-era design magazines, made ivory, well, ivory-er, and I was hard at work when my father stumbled onto the scene.
Should parents cry in front of their kids? I asked a psychologist, and my 9-year-old.|Cathy Alter|April 8, 2021|Washington Post
Soon his coffers were overflowing with revenue from rubber, palm oil, and ivory.
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis|Nina Strochlic|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These goods were probably exchanged with Gedi inhabitants for animal skins and ivory.
Kenya Has Its Own Machu Picchu—the Lost Town of Gedi|Nina Strochlic|September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The new regs say: “Personal possession of legally acquired items containing elephant ivory will remain legal.”
A World Without Elephants? Blame China|Michael Tomasky|August 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“We can only save African elephants if China and Japan ban the ivory trade,” Thornton told me.
A World Without Elephants? Blame China|Michael Tomasky|August 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Today, ivory prices are at record highs, having tripled since that 2008 auction, up to around $1,500 a pound.
A World Without Elephants? Blame China|Michael Tomasky|August 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Stradiuarius made a few instruments inlaid with ebony and ivory round the edges.
Violins and Violin Makers|Joseph Pearce
Her Nazarites were whiter than snow, purer than milk, more ruddy than the old ivory, fairer than the sapphire.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Gwynne thought her a creature of infinite possibilities, beside whom Isabel was a statue in ivory.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
Of course, it was not smoke obscuring the moon, she decided; it was a lamp, upheld by an ivory figure—a lamp with a Chinese shade.
Dope|Sax Rohmer
The Chinese possess marvellous skill in carving ivory, tortoiseshell, and wood.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer

British Dictionary definitions for ivory (1 of 2)

ivory

/ (ˈaɪvərɪ, -vrɪ) /

noun plural -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

a tusk made of ivory

a yellowish-white colour; cream
(as adjective)ivory shoes

a substance resembling elephant tusk

an ornament, etc, made of ivory

black ivory obsolete Black slaves collectively

Derived forms of ivory

ivory-like, adjective

Word Origin for ivory

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

British Dictionary definitions for ivory (2 of 2)

Ivory

/ (ˈaɪvərɪ) /

noun

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

[ ī′və-rē ]

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.

ivory

Origin of ivory

OTHER WORDS FROM ivory

Words nearby ivory

Words related to ivory

How to use ivory in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ivory (1 of 2)

Derived forms of ivory

Word Origin for ivory

British Dictionary definitions for ivory (2 of 2)

Scientific definitions for ivory