mahogany

American  

[muh-hog-uh-nee] / məˈhɒg ə ni /

noun

plural

mahoganies

1. any of several tropical American trees of the genus Swietenia, especially S. mahagoni and S. macrophylla, yielding hard, reddish-brown wood used for making furniture.

2. the wood itself.

3. any of various similar trees or their wood.

4. a reddish-brown color.

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adjective

1. pertaining to or made of mahogany.

2. of the color mahogany.

mahogany British  

/ məˈhɒɡənɪ /

noun

1. any of various tropical American trees of the meliaceous genus Swietenia, esp S. mahagoni and S. macrophylla, valued for their hard reddish-brown wood

2. any of several trees with similar wood, such as African mahogany (genus Khaya ) and Philippine mahogany (genus Shorea )

3. 1. the wood of any of these trees See also acajou

   2. ( as modifier )

      a mahogany table

4. 1. a reddish-brown colour

   2. ( as modifier )

      mahogany skin

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Etymology

Origin of mahogany

First recorded in 1665–75; perhaps < some non-Carib language of the West Indies

Example Sentences

“All of our mothers’ furniture and grandmothers’ furniture is very hard to sell because it’s mahogany, it’s vintage,” Hall said.

From MarketWatch

The guitar, a mahogany Gibson SG, was one Iommi said he had owned for a while and used at home.

From BBC

“She recognized the quality of things. I was about to auction my mahogany Chippendale chairs, and I kept thinking, ‘Gee, they’re so beautiful,’” Lucci said.

From MarketWatch

There’s an obvious appeal: Smoked to a deep mahogany color using Old World techniques the company’s founder carried with him as an immigrant from Poland, this is a turkey you don’t have to roast.

From The Wall Street Journal

Customers are increasingly being lured by brands like TimberTech, which dispense with wood altogether in favor of polyvinyl chloride patterned to resemble mahogany, teak, or hickory.

From Barron's