Ebony
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ebony¹
- /ˈɛb.ən.i/ UK, US
Where it comes from
Etymology tree
Egyptian U13:n-Z4:M3 (hbnj)bor.
Ancient Greek ἕβενος (hébenos)bor.
Latin hebenus
Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós
Proto-Italic *-ijos
Proto-Italic *-ios
Old Latin -ios
Latin -ius
Latin ebeniusder.
Middle English ebenif
English heben, hebeny
English ebony
From earlier heben, hebeny, from Middle English ebenif, hebenyf (influenced by Late Latin hebeninus), from Ecclesiastical Latin ebenius (“of ebony”), from Latin hebenus (“ebon tree”), from Ancient Greek ἔβενος (ébenos), from Egyptian hbnj, U13:n-Z4:M3
noun ebonies
- A hard, dense, deep black wood from various subtropical and tropical trees, especially of the genus Diospyros.
- A tree that yields such wood. “You live up the road past the ebony tree, right?” he asked, looking past me.
- A deep, dark black colour. Near-synonyms: onyx, raven
- Dark skin colour. At dawn the hunters were off. There were fifty sleek, black warriors, and in their midst, lithe and active as a young forest god, strode Tarzan of the Apes, his brown skin contrasting oddly with the ebony of his companions. Except for color he was one of them.
- A black key on a piano or other keyboard instrument (as opposed to ivory). Ebony and ivory / Live together in perfect harmony / Side by side on my piano keyboard / Oh lord, why don't we?
adjective more ebony · most ebony
- Made of ebony wood.
- A deep, dark black colour. Near-synonyms: onyx, raven
- Dark-skinned; black; especially in reference to African-Americans. He called the ebony mistress of the establishment to him, and speaking to her kindly and winningly, as any dutiful husband should, told her to make the change, which she did.
Ebony²
Where it comes from
From ebony. First used by African Americans in the 1970s.
proper noun
- A female given name from English.
- A stereotypical African-American woman.
