ebony
ebony — 名詞
1. a tall tree that grows in the tropical parts of Africa and Asia, producing a ver
黑檀樹
熱帶產的硬木喬木
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.
黑檀樹生長非常緩慢，因此木頭特別堅硬且珍貴。
collocation: ebony trees (the tree species)
The villagers planted several ebony trees on the hillside to restore the forest.
村民們在山坡上種了幾棵黑檀樹，試圖恢復這片森林。
Mayumi saw a tall ebony tree with dark bark standing next to the river.
Mayumi 看到河邊有一棵樹皮烏黑的高大黑檀樹。
Hamza learned that ebony trees can only be found in certain tropical regions of Africa.
Hamza 了解到黑檀樹只生長在非洲的特定熱帶地區。
- 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
黑檀木
質地堅硬的深色木材
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.
木匠小心地切下一塊黑檀木，打算做一個珠寶盒。
uncountable: a piece of ebony (material noun)
A piano with ebony keys looks beautiful and feels smooth to the touch.
配有黑檀木琴鍵的鋼琴，外觀美麗且觸感滑順。
typical use: piano keys
Andrés chose ebony for the handle of his kitchen knife because the wood is very durable.
Andrés 選擇黑檀木做菜刀刀柄，因為這種木頭非常耐用。
Collectors pay high prices for antique furniture made of ebony.
收藏家願意出高價購買黑檀木製成的古董家具。
The cabinet was decorated with panels of polished ebony and ivory.
那座櫥櫃以拋光的黑檀木和象牙鑲板裝飾。
- 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
烏黑色
深沉富有光澤的黑色
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.
照片中那位女演員的頭髮呈現出濃郁的烏黑色。
colour noun used as complement
Dylan painted the front door in a deep ebony that matched the window frames.
Dylan 把大門漆成深烏黑色，與窗框互相搭配。
The room was decorated in shades of ebony and cream for a modern look.
房間以烏黑色與奶油色裝飾，營造出現代感。
Aoi chose an ebony colour for the frame to make the painting stand out.
Aoi 選擇烏黑色的畫框，讓畫作更加突出。
- jet-black
more common in everyday descriptions; ebony suggests a glossier, richer black
ebony — 形容詞
1. describing an object or surface that has a very deep, rich black colour, often w
烏黑的
深沉亮澤的黑色
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.
Nala 穿著一件烏黑的絲質禮服，在夜晚燈光下閃閃發光。
attributive use before a noun
The old mansion had an ebony front door with a heavy brass knocker.
那棟老宅邸有一扇烏黑的大門，上面掛著沉重的黃銅門環。
A small ebony statue of a bird sat on the librarian's desk.
圖書館員的桌上放著一尊烏黑的小鳥雕像。
Christopher combed his ebony hair flat before the job interview.
Christopher 在面試前把他烏黑的頭髮梳整齊。
- 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.