ivory black

American  

noun

1. a fine black pigment made by calcining ivory.

---

ivory black British  

noun

1. a black pigment obtained by grinding charred scraps of ivory in oil

---

Etymology

Origin of ivory black

First recorded in 1625–35

Compare meaning

How does ivory-black compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• lampblack vs. ivory black

Example Sentences

She may repeat this process twenty times or more, sanding the entire surface, before she lays down the next layer of ivory black mixed with burnt umber, ultramarine blue, and sometimes a touch of white.

From The New Yorker

“I hope this conviction sends a clear message to anyone considering engaging in the ivory black market, as a buyer or a seller,” City Attorney Mara Elliott said in the statement.

From Los Angeles Times

There is ivory black, made from charred antique elephant tusks; cochineal, a lush scarlet pigment derived from crushed South American beetles, and vermilion red made from mercury, which is both poisonous and relatively volatile.

From New York Times

Marshall uses three kinds of black — carbon black, originally from soot; mars black, from iron oxide; and ivory black, originally from burned bone — each subtly different.

From New York Times

Hong Kong plays a leading role in the ivory black market as a transit point for ivory smuggled from Africa to Asia.

From National Geographic