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• ivory
  ivory

  noun

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

  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)

ivory

American  

[ahy-vuh-ree, ahy-vree] / ˈaɪ və ri, ˈaɪ vri /

noun

• ivories
  plural

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.

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adjective

1. consisting or made of ivory.

2. of the color ivory.

ivory ¹ British  

/ ˈaɪvərɪ, -vrɪ /

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

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Ivory ² British  

/ 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)

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ivory Scientific  

/ ī′və-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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• ivory-like
  adjective
• ivorylike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• ivories
  plural

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Etymology

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

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Explanation

Ivory is a hard, white substance found in the tusks of animals such as elephants. Ivory also refers to a white-ish color, like the ivory keys on a piano. One of the most prized animal products is ivory, which comes from the tusks of elephants and walruses. Ivory — which is extremely hard dentine — is used in many objects, especially expensive, decorative ones such as statues. Unfortunately, the elephant population is endangered due to hunting elephants for their ivory, so this pretty substance comes at a high price. Ivory is also the name of a color that is close to the shade of bleached bones or pearl.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ivory Ivory ivories

We encounter paintings on canvas and on copper; bronzes, terracottas and an impressive ivory; dispassionate portraits, intimate sketches and pitiless caricatures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

Ed Miliband, now Britain’s foreign secretary, praised Hobsbawm for bringing “history out of the ivory tower and into people’s lives.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

When suddenly, from the depths of this cave, he pulled out a very crumpled, brown paper bag with soft, ivory fabric peaking out between the twine handles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Frank Pope, CEO of conservation organisation Save the Elephants, told the BBC the pressure on Amboseli's elephants isn't ivory anymore.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Partially hidden in a valley on the outskirts of the Golden Crescent, near the intimidating mountain cliffs of what Chestnutt called Isihlangu, it was surrounded by seven spiraling towers made of ivory and gold.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

Democratic Republic of Congo had been on the grey list since 2022 and Ivory Coast since 2024.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

In a single day, he scored an 86th-minute winner to beat Ivory Coast inside the cavernous home of the Dallas Cowboys.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Artisanal prospectors began mining gold illegally on a large scale in Ivory Coast in the 2000s, at a time when violent political crises weakened the state.

From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026

Ivory Coast also plans to open a refinery next year.

From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026

Even the boxes of Ivory Snow and Corn Flakes, jars of peanut butter and mustard, hopped.

From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord

“Diana” precedes an extraordinary gathering of elaborate furniture, once in Versailles; tapestries; and improbably opulent 18th-century French silver—plus a wealth of medieval ivories.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Rumours that Taylor Swift would turn up and tinkle the ivories were shot down by Grammy producer Ben Winston.

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026

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

From Salon ● Jun. 24, 2025

David Foster tickled the ivories with a medley of his own greatest hits — including his Whitney Houston showstopper “I Have Nothing” from “The Bodyguard,” Oscar-nominated for best song in 1993.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2023

“How are you all doing?” the nurse said, bounding in and exhibiting her ivories again.

From "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel

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