ivory

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Related to ivory: ivory tower

i·vo·ry

(ī′və-rē, īv′rē)

n. pl. i·vo·ries

a. A hard, smooth, yellowish-white substance composed primarily of dentin that forms the tusks of the elephant.

b. A similar substance forming the tusks or teeth of certain other mammals, such as the walrus.

2. A tusk, especially an elephant's tusk.

3. An article made of ivory.

4. A substance resembling ivory.

5. A pale or grayish yellow to yellowish white.

6. ivories

a. Music Piano keys.

b. Games Dice.

c. Slang The teeth.

adj.

1. Composed or constructed of ivory.

2. Of a pale or grayish yellow to yellowish white.

[Middle English ivorie, from Old French ivoire, ivurie, from Latin eboreus, of ivory, from ebur, ebor-, ivory, from Egyptian 3bw, elephant, ivory; see elephant.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ivory

(ˈaɪvərɪ; -vrɪ)

n, pl -ries

1. (Zoology)

a. a hard smooth creamy white variety of dentine that makes up a major part of the tusks of elephants, walruses, and similar animals

b. (as modifier): ivory ornaments.

2. (Zoology) a tusk made of ivory

3. (Colours)

a. a yellowish-white colour; cream

b. (as adjective): ivory shoes.

4. a substance resembling elephant tusk

5. an ornament, etc, made of ivory

6. (Historical Terms) black ivory obsolete Black slaves collectively

[C13: from Old French ivurie, from Latin evoreus made of ivory, from ebur ivory; related to Greek elephas ivory, elephant]

ˈivory-ˌlike adj

Ivory

(ˈaɪvərɪ)

(Biography) James. born 1928, US film director. With the producer Ismael Merchant, his films include Shakespeare Wallah (1964), Heat and Dust (1983), A Room With a View (1986), and The Golden Bowl (2000)

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

i•vo•ry

(ˈaɪ və ri, ˈaɪ vri)

n., pl. -ries,
adj. n.

1. the hard white substance, a variety of dentine, composing the main part of the tusks of the elephant, walrus, etc.

2. this substance when taken from a dead animal and used to make articles and objects.

3. an article made of this substance, as a carving or a billiard ball.

4. matter or a material resembling or imitating this substance, esp. vegetable ivory.

5. the tusk of an elephant, walrus, or other animal.

6. Slang. a tooth.

7. ivories, Slang.

a. the keys of a piano or similar instrument.

b. dice.

8. a creamy or yellowish white.

adj.

9. consisting or made of ivory.

10. of the color ivory.

[1250–1300; Middle English < Old French ivurie < Latin eboreus (adj.), derivative of ebor-, s. of ebur ivory]

i′vo•ry•like`, adj.

i·vo·ry

(ī′və-rē)

The hard, smooth, yellowish-white substance forming the teeth and tusks of certain animals, such as the tusks of elephants and walruses and the teeth of certain whales.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	ivory - a hard smooth ivory colored dentine that makes up most of the tusks of elephants and walruses tusk tusk - a long pointed tooth specialized for fighting or digging; especially in an elephant or walrus or hog dentin, dentine - a calcareous material harder and denser than bone that comprises the bulk of a tooth
	2.	ivory - a shade of white the color of bleached bones off-white, pearl, bone whiteness, white - the quality or state of the achromatic color of greatest lightness (bearing the least resemblance to black)

ivory

adjective

Of a light color or complexion:

alabaster, fair, light, pale.

Translations

عاجعَاجٌ

slonovinaslonovinový

elfenbenelfenbens-

Elfenbein elfenbeinern elfenbeinfarben

ελεφαντόδοντο ιβουάρ

marfil de color marfil de marfil

norsunluunorsunluinen

ivoire

slonovačabjelokost

elefántcsont

fílabein

avorio color avorio d'avorio

象牙

상아

ebur

dramblio kaulas

ziloņkauls

ivoorivoorkleurivoren

slonovinaslonovinový

slonova kostslonovina

slonovača

elfenben

งาช้าง

fildişifildişinden yapılmış

ngà

象牙象牙制成的

ivory

[ˈaɪvərɪ]

A. N → marfil m ivories (= teeth) → dientes mpl (Mus) → teclas fpl (Billiards) → bolas fpl
to tickle the ivories → tocar el piano

B. ADJ [cane, box] → de marfil; [skin] → de color marfil

C. CPD Ivory Coast N → Costa f de Marfil
ivory hunter N → cazador (a) m/f de marfil
ivory tower N (fig) → torre f de marfil

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

ivory

[ˈaɪvəri]

(= tusk) → ivoire m

(= colour) → ivoire m

adj (= colour) → ivoire inv
an ivory silk wedding dress → une robe de mariage ivoire, en soie

modif [handle, key] → en ivoire; [carving] → sur ivoire

ivory

(also colour) → Elfenbein nt; the ivory trade → der Elfenbeinhandel

(Art) → Elfenbeinschnitzerei f

(inf) ivories (= piano keys) → Tasten pl; (= billiard balls) → Billardkugeln pl; (= dice) → Würfel pl; (dated: = teeth) → Beißer pl (inf)

adj

→ elfenbeinern

(colour) → elfenbeinfarben

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

ivory

[ˈaɪv/ərɪ]

1. n → avorio

2. adj (colour) → avorio inv; (object) → d'avorio

ivory

(ˈaivəri) noun, adjective

(of) the hard white substance forming the tusks of an elephant, walrus etc. Ivory was formerly used to make piano keys; ivory chessmen.

ivory

→ عَاجٌ slonovina elfenben Elfenbein ελεφαντόδοντο marfil norsunluu ivoire slonovača avorio 象牙 상아 ivoor elfenben kość słoniowa marfim слоновая кость elfenben งาช้าง fildişi ngà 象牙

References in classic literature ?

Whereupon I turned and made for the city as fast as I could go, not seeing a single elephant by the way, which convinced me that they had retired deeper into the forest to leave the way open to the Ivory Hill, and I did not know how sufficiently to admire their sagacity.

View in context

Trumpet to mouth, the old man was standing in his hoisted quarter-boat, his ivory leg plainly revealed to the stranger captain, who was carelessly reclining in his own boat's bow.

View in context

Then I saw that behind the bank was a cliff, mighty and black, and in the cliff were doors of ivory, and through them came light and the sound of laughter; there were other doors also, black as though fashioned of coal, and through them came darkness and the sounds of groans.

View in context

Two Swedes, Carl Jenssen and Sven Malbihn, after three years of following false leads at last gave up the search far to the south of the Sahara to turn their attention to the more profitable business of ivory poaching.

View in context

Then he said abruptly: "We have got very little ivory; bad six months' trading.

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For weeks Tarzan lived with his savage friends, hunting buffalo, antelope, and zebra for meat, and elephant for ivory. Quickly he learned their simple speech, their native customs, and the ethics of their wild, primitive tribal life.

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It had previously come to me that this ivory leg had at sea been fashioned from the polished bone of the sperm whale's jaw.

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Her nose was exactly regular, and her mouth, in which were two rows of ivory, exactly answered Sir John Suckling's description in those lines:--

View in context

In one room, which looked like a lady's sitting-room, the hangings were all embroidered velvet, and in a cabinet were about a hundred little elephants made of ivory. They were of different sizes, and some had their mahouts or palanquins on their backs.

View in context

The approach to this Kurtz grubbing for ivory in the wretched bush was beset by as many dangers as though he had been an enchanted princess sleeping in a fabulous castle.

View in context

The Professor went before us to unlock the Ivory Door.

View in context

Through all these fatigues we at length came to Jubo, a kingdom of considerable extent, situated almost under the line, and tributary to the Portuguese, who carry on a trade here for ivory and other commodities.