a very dark black
"The coach's new car had an ebony finish that seemed to swallow all the sunlight around it."
hard dark-colored heartwood of the ebony tree; used in cabinetwork and for piano keys
"The pianist admired how the smooth, polished ebony keys contrasted beautifully against the ivory hammers."
tropical tree of southern Asia having hard dark-colored heartwood used in cabinetwork
"The antique cabinet maker sourced rare ebony from a supplier specializing in timber harvested from tropical trees in southern Asia."
A hard, dense, deep black wood from various subtropical and tropical trees, especially of the genus Diospyros.
"The artisan selected a slab of ebony for the chess set because its rich, jet-black grain offered both durability and elegance."
In plain English: Ebony is a very dark, dense wood from an African tree that is often used to make high-quality furniture and musical instruments.
"The musician played a beautiful melody on his ebony piano."
Usage: Use ebony as a noun to refer specifically to the dark, dense hardwood derived from certain tropical trees, often prized for its use in fine furniture and musical instruments. Do not confuse it with the color black unless describing something that perfectly matches the hue of this specific wood.
Made of ebony wood.
"The chess pieces were carved from solid ebony, giving them a deep, glossy black finish."
In plain English: Ebony describes something that is very dark, almost black in color.
"The grand piano had a beautiful ebony finish that gleamed under the stage lights."
Usage: Use "ebony" as an adjective to describe objects that are made from or resemble the dense, jet-black wood of the ebony tree. It typically modifies nouns like furniture, instruments, or decorative items to highlight their dark color and polished finish.
A female given name from English.
"After her parents chose a unique moniker, she was officially named Ebony at birth."
The word "ebony" entered English via Middle English and Late Latin forms derived from the Latin hebenus, which originally referred to the ebon tree. Its ultimate roots trace back to Ancient Greek and an Egyptian source that also denoted this dark wood.