ivory

Meaning

Noun

1. (uncountable) The hard white form of dentin which forms the tusks of elephants, walruses and other animals.
2. (countable, uncountable) A creamy white color, the color of ivory.
3. (countable, uncountable) Something made from or resembling ivory.
4. (collective, countable, plural, singular, uncountable) The teeth.
5. (collective, countable, plural, singular, uncountable) The keys of a piano; or, the white keys, as opposed to the black keys (ebonies).
6. (countable, ethnic, slang, slur, uncountable) A white person.
7. (countable, informal, uncountable) A die (object bearing numbers, thrown in games of chance).

Adj

1. (not-comparable) Made of ivory.
2. (not-comparable) Resembling or having the colour of ivory.

Synonyms

tusk

elephant tusk

bone

🦴

off-white

pearl

horn

dentin

fang

tooth

🦷

creamy

elephant

🐘

light-colored

elephant’s tusk

cream

creamed-colour

creamy yellow

made of ivory

creamy-white

dentinum

Translations

ivoire

Elfenbein

avorio

marfil

ivoor

marfim

ivoorkleurig

عاج

ivori

ivoren

fildişi

marfil

vori

ebur

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈaɪv(ə)ɹi/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: yvory

Cognate with Coptic: ⲓⲏⲃ

In summary

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”).