ivory

[ahy-vuh-ree, ahy-vree]

noun

plural

ivories 

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.

3. some substance resembling this.

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

5. a tusk, as of an elephant.

6. dentin of any kind.

7. Slang.,  a tooth, or the teeth.

8. Slang.,  ivories,

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

   2. dice.

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

10. a creamy or yellowish white.

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

adjective

1. consisting or made of ivory.

2. of the color ivory.

Ivory

¹

/ 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)

ivory

²

/ -vrɪ, ˈaɪvərɪ /

noun

1. 1. a hard smooth creamy white variety of dentine that makes up a major part of the tusks of elephants, walruses, and similar animals

   2. ( as modifier )

      ivory ornaments

2. a tusk made of ivory

3. 1. a yellowish-white colour; cream

   2. ( as adjective )

      ivory shoes

4. a substance resembling elephant tusk

5. an ornament, etc, made of ivory

6. obsolete,  Black slaves collectively

ivory

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.

Other Word Forms

• ivory-like adjective
• ivorylike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ivory¹

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”; -eous

Word History and Origins

Origin of ivory¹

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

Example Sentences

They’re not coming down from the ivory tower like the doctors.

From Los Angeles Times

Nigeria's porous borders, widespread corruption and weak enforcement have made it a key transit hub for ivory, pangolin scales and other wildlife products.

From BBC

The mammoth ivory boomerang was unearthed in Oblazowa Cave in southern Poland.

From BBC

This is not a concert in which the lead singer will occasionally tinkle the ivories for effect.

From Salon

Is “Homework” about a child who took a remarkably frictionless path, aided by a nation that had invested in civic institutions, from monetary hardship to the ivory tower?

From Los Angeles Times