ebony

Meanings

Noun

• A hard, dense, deep black wood from various subtropical and tropical trees, especially of the genus Diospyros.
• A tree that yields such wood.
• A deep, dark black colour.
• A black key on a piano or other keyboard instrument.

Adjective

• Made of ebony wood.
• A deep, dark black colour.
• Dark-skinned; black; especially in reference to African-Americans.

Origin

• From earlier heben, hebeny, from Middle English ebenif, hebenyf (influenced by Late Latin hebeninus), from Ecclesiastical Latin ebenius ("of ebony"), from Latin hebenus ("ebon tree"), from Ancient Greek ἔβενος, from Egyptian hbnj, U13:n-Z4:M3