ivory black

American  

noun

1. a fine black pigment made by calcining ivory.

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ivory black British  

noun

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

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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

See Examples For:

ivory black

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 ● Aug. 26, 2019

She knew the paw well, dipped in white fur, claws that alternated black, ivory, black, ivory.

From The New Yorker ● Nov. 22, 2010

In three pints of small beer, put two ounces of ivory black, and one pennyworth of brown sugar.

From The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches, Adapted to the Use of Private Families by Mary Eaton

Gum arabic dissolved in water, and well mixed with fine ivory black, will make writing indelible.

From The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches, Adapted to the Use of Private Families by Mary Eaton

The only ones we need speak of are ivory black, which has a reddish cast, and blue black, which is weaker, but lacks the purplish note, which is often an advantage.

From The Painter in Oil A complete treatise on the principles and technique necessary to the painting of pictures in oil colors by Daniel Burleigh Parkhurst