ebony
ebony — noun
1. a tall tree that grows in the tropical parts of Africa and Asia, producing a ver
a tall tree that grows in the tropical parts of Africa and Asia, producing a very hard dark-coloured wood that is used to make fine furniture and musical instruments
Ebony trees grow very slowly, which makes their wood especially dense and valuable.
collocation: ebony trees (the tree species)
The villagers planted several ebony trees on the hillside to restore the forest.
Mayumi saw a tall ebony tree with dark bark standing next to the river.
Hamza learned that ebony trees can only be found in certain tropical regions of Africa.
- diospyros
the scientific genus name; used in botany rather than everyday speech
常見錯誤
2. the very hard, dense dark-coloured material obtained from the ebony tree, tradit
the very hard, dense dark-coloured material obtained from the ebony tree, traditionally valued for making expensive furniture, piano keys, musical instruments, and ornamental objects
The carpenter carefully cut a piece of ebony to make a jewelry box.
uncountable: a piece of ebony (material noun)
A piano with ebony keys looks beautiful and feels smooth to the touch.
typical use: piano keys
Andrés chose ebony for the handle of his kitchen knife because the wood is very durable.
Collectors pay high prices for antique furniture made of ebony.
The cabinet was decorated with panels of polished ebony and ivory.
- hardwood
a broader category; ebony is one specific type of hardwood
用法筆記
When referring to the material, this sense is uncountable — you cannot say 'an ebony' to mean a piece of the wood; use 'a piece of ebony' or 'ebony' without an article.
常見錯誤
3. a very deep, rich black shade that looks like the natural colour of polished ebo
a very deep, rich black shade that looks like the natural colour of polished ebony wood
The photograph showed the colour of the actress's hair as a rich ebony.
colour noun used as complement
Dylan painted the front door in a deep ebony that matched the window frames.
The room was decorated in shades of ebony and cream for a modern look.
Aoi chose an ebony colour for the frame to make the painting stand out.
- jet-black
more common in everyday descriptions; ebony suggests a glossier, richer black
ebony — adjective
1. describing an object or surface that has a very deep, rich black colour, often w
describing an object or surface that has a very deep, rich black colour, often with a glossy or polished appearance like ebony wood
Nala wore a dress of ebony silk that shimmered under the evening lights.
attributive use before a noun
The old mansion had an ebony front door with a heavy brass knocker.
A small ebony statue of a bird sat on the librarian's desk.
Christopher combed his ebony hair flat before the job interview.
- jet-black
a more common everyday term for very black hair or objects; ebony suggests a slightly glossier, richer quality
- raven-black
used mainly for hair; suggests a blue-black sheen, while ebony is more neutral
用法筆記
Used attributively before a noun (e.g. 'ebony hair', 'ebony skin'). Not normally used in comparative or superlative forms — you would not say 'more ebony' or 'most ebony'. The phrase 'ebony skin' was historically used as a descriptor for dark skin but is now considered dated and potentially problematic; contemporary usage favours 'ebony' for objects and materials.