ivory

English Online Dictionary. What means ivory‎? What does ivory mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English yvory, ivorie, from Anglo-Norman ivurie, from Latin eboreus (“in or of ivory”) adjective of ebur (“ivory”) (genitive eboris), from Demotic 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”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈaɪv(ə)ɹi/
• Hyphenation: i‧vo‧ry, ivo‧ry

Noun

ivory (countable and uncountable, plural ivories)

1. (uncountable) The hard white form of dentin which forms the tusks of elephants, walruses and other animals.
2. A creamy white color, the color of ivory.

3. Something made from or resembling ivory.
4. (collective, singular or in plural) The teeth.
5. (collective, singular or in plural) The keys of a piano; or, the white keys, as opposed to the black keys (ebonies).

   Coordinate term: ebony

   to tickle the ivories
6. (slang, ethnic slur) A white person.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:white person

7. (informal) 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.

Derived terms

Descendants

• → Pohnpeian: aipori

Translations

See also

• Galalith

Adjective

ivory (not comparable)

1. Made of ivory.
2. Resembling or having the colour of ivory.

Derived terms

Related terms

• chryselephantine
• eburnation

Translations

See also

• odontolite
• scrimshaw
• whalebone
• Appendix:Colors

Middle English

Noun

ivory

1. alternative form of yvory