ivory
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ivory¹
- /ˈaɪv(ə)ɹi/
Where it comes from
From Middle English yvory, ivorie, from Anglo-Norman ivurie, from Latin eboreus (“in or of ivory”) adjective of ebur (“ivory”) (genitive eboris), from Demotic Egyptian yb (“ivory, Elephantine”) (compare Coptic ⲓⲏⲃ (iēb, “Elephantine”)), from Egyptian ꜣbw (“elephant, ivory, Elephantine”), from Proto-Afroasiatic *leb-. Displaced native Old English elpendbān (literally “elephant bone”).
noun ivories
- The hard white form of dentin which forms the tusks of elephants, walruses and other animals. “Leave the ivory!” he cried. “Leave the ivory! Dead men have no use for ivory!” Some of the Manyuema started to lay down their loads, but this was altogether too much for the avaricious Arabs.
- A creamy white color, the color of ivory.
- Something made from or resembling ivory.
- The teeth. Ye forgot some o' yer ivories, didn't ye, on th' grass?
- The keys of a piano; or, the white keys, as opposed to the black keys (ebonies). to tickle the ivories
-
A white person.
Similar: abelungu, ang moh, Angrez, balanda, béké, bule, cac, Caucasian, cornstarch crusader, cracker, cumskin, Eurangutan
- A die (object bearing numbers, thrown in games of chance). c. 1846, Alexandre Dumas (translated by William Barrow), The Three Musketeers The triumphant Englishman did not give himself the trouble even to shake the dice; and, so sure was he of winning, that he threw the ivory on the table without looking.
adjective
- Made of ivory. Men that I knew around Wapatomac didn't wear high, shiny plug hats, nor yeller spring overcoats, nor carry canes with ivory heads as big as a catboat's anchor, as you might say.
- Resembling or having the colour of ivory. The walls and ceiling of this drawing-room in Montague Square are painted ivory.
Ivory²
Where it comes from
The surname is habitational from Ivry in Normandy, and in some cases patronymic from a diminutive of Ivor. The modern given name is associated with ivory.
proper noun
- A surname from Old French.
- A male given name from English.
- A female given name from English. Charlie Parrott wasn't fooled and told Linny to walk softly. The girl's name had been picked from a baby-name book which reflected a brief fashion of naming girls for expensive wedding gifts of an earlier time—Linen, Silver, Crystal, Ivory.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: tusk, pearl, bone, off-white, walrus, narwhal, billed, tooth, whooping, white, tunnel, carving, ivorian, ivoire, marfil, dentin
Translations
Every language
noun material
| Español | marfil |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 상아 sang'a |
| 日本語 | 象牙 zōge |
| 中文 | 象牙 xiàngyá |
| हिन्दी | हाथीदांत hāthīdānt, हाथी दांत hāthī dānt, गजदन्त gajdant |
| Kiswahili | pembe za ndovu |
| Português | marfim |
| Français | ivoire |
| Deutsch | Elfenbein |
| Italiano | avorio |
| Ελληνικά | φίλντισι fílntisi |
| Română | fildeș, ivoriu |
| Русский | слоно́вая кость slonóvaja kostʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | ngà voi, ngà |
| العربية | عَاج ʕāj |
| עברית | שֶׁנְהָב shenhav |
noun colour
| Español | ebúrneo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 상아색 sang'asaek, 아이보리 aibori |
| Português | ebúrneo, ebóreo, marfim |
| Français | ivoire |
| Deutsch | Elfenbein, Elfenbeinfarbe |
| Română | alb-ivoriu |
| Русский | слоно́вая кость slonóvaja kostʹ, цвет слоно́вой ко́сти cvet slonóvoj kósti |
| العربية | عَاجِيّ ʕājiyy, عَاجِيَّة ʕājiyya |
adj made of ivory
| Español | de marfil, ebúrneo |
|---|---|
| Português | ebóreo, ebúrneo, de marfim |
| Deutsch | elfenbeinern, Elfenbein- |
| Italiano | eburneo, avorio |
| Română | de fildeș, din fildeș |
adj having colour of ivory
| Deutsch | elfenbeinfarben, elfenbeinfarbig |
|---|---|
| Italiano | eburneo |
| Română | alb-ivoriu |
Talk about this word "ivory." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/ivory. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. ivory. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/ivory "ivory." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/ivory.Cite this
@misc{ivory_2026,
title = {ivory},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/ivory},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
