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Webster 1913 Edition

Ebony

Eb′on-y

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Ebonies
(#)
.
[F.
ébène
, L.
ebenus
, fr. Gr. [GREEK]; prob. of Semitic origin; cf. Heb.
hobnīm
, pl. Cf.
Ebon
.]
A hard, heavy, and durable wood, which admits of a fine polish or gloss. The usual color is black, but it also occurs red or green.
☞ The finest black ebony is the heartwood of
Diospyros reticulata
, of the Mauritius. Other species of the same genus (
D. Ebenum
,
Melanoxylon
, etc.), furnish the ebony of the East Indies and Ceylon. The West Indian green ebony is from a leguminous tree (
Brya Ebenus
), and from the
Excæcaria glandulosa
.

Eb′on-y

,
Adj.
Made of ebony, or resembling ebony; black;
as, an
ebony
countenance
.
This
ebony
bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling.
Poe.

Webster 1828 Edition

Ebony

EB'ONY

,
Noun.
[L. ebenus.] A species of hard,heavy and durable wood, which admits of a fine polish or gloss; said to be brought from Madagascar. The most usual color is black, red or green. The best is a jet black, free from veins and rind, very heavy, astringent and of an acrid pungent taste. On burning coals it yields an agreeable perfume, and when green it readily takes fire from its abundance of fat. It is wrought into toys, and used for mosaic and inlaid work.

Definition 2024

Ebony

Ebony

See also: ebony

English

Proper noun

Ebony

  1. A female given name.

See also

Anagrams

ebony

ebony

See also: Ebony

English

An organ keyboard, with wooden keys of ebony (dark) and maple (light)

Noun

ebony ‎(usually uncountable, plural ebonies)

  1. A hard, dense, deep black wood from various subtropical and tropical trees, especially of the genus Diospyros.
  2. A tree that yields such wood.
  3. A deep, dark black colour.
    ebony colour:    
  4. (slang) A black key on a piano or other keyboard instrument

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Adjective

ebony ‎(comparative more ebony, superlative most ebony)

  1. Made of ebony wood.
  2. A deep, dark black colour.
    ebony colour:    
  3. Dark-skinned; black; especially in reference to African-Americans
    • 1864, George Adams Fisher, The Yankee conscript: or, Eighteen months in Dixie
      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.
    • 1931, Catherine MacFarlane Carswell, The life of Robert Burns
      No attempt was made in her new home to discontinue or even to conceal the presence of an ebony mistress and a thriving family of little mulattoes...
    • 2004, "Alyssa", Ebony Girls Need Attention (on newsgroup alt.sex.escorts)
      Want to watch my gorgeous ebony friend, Almond Joy, naked and online 24/7? She recently ended a long-term relationship and is now fully enjoying being a 25 year-old single gal in Beverly Hills.

Translations

See also

Anagrams

Etymology

From ebony. First used by African Americans in the 1970s.

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