ivory

ivory
n. (pl. -ies)
1 a hard creamy-white substance composing the main part of the tusks of an elephant, hippopotamus, walrus, and narwhal.
2 the colour of this.
3 (usu. in pl.) a an article made of ivory. b sl. anything made of or resembling ivory, esp. a piano key or a tooth.
Phrases and idioms:
fossil ivory ivory from the tusks of a mammoth. ivory black black pigment from calcined ivory or bone. ivory-nut the seed of a corozo palm, Phytelephas macrocarpa, used as a source of vegetable ivory for carving: also called corozo-nut. ivory tower a state of seclusion or separation from the ordinary world and the harsh realities of life. vegetable ivory a hard white material obtained from the endosperm of the ivory-nut.
Derivatives:
ivoried adj.
Etymology: ME f. OF yvoire ult. f. L ebur eboris

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ivory — is formed from dentine and constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals such as the elephant, hippopotamus, walrus, mammoth and narwhal.The word ivory was traditionally applied to the tusks of elephants; the word is ultimately from… …   Wikipedia

  • Ivory — • The tusks of the elephant, hippopotamus, walrus, and other animals: a tough and elastic substance, of a creamy white, taking a high and lasting polish, largely employed in the arts since pre historic times, and used extensively in making or… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Ivory — I vo*ry ([imac] v[ o]*r[y^]), n.; pl. {Ivories}. [OE. ivori, F. ivoire, fr. L. eboreus made of ivory, fr. ebur, eboris, ivory, cf. Skr. ibha elephant. Cf. {Eburnean}.] [1913 Webster] 1. The hard, white, opaque, fine grained substance constituting …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • ivory — [ī′vər ē, ī′vrē] n. pl. ivories [ME < OFr yvoire < L eboreus (adj.) < ebur (gen. eboris), ivory < Egypt Ȝ bw, elephant, ivory] 1. the hard, white substance, a form of dentin, that makes up the tusks of elephants, walruses, etc. 2. a)… …   English World dictionary

  • Ivory — ist der Name von Personen und Ortschaften: James Ivory (* 1928), US amerikanischer Filmregisseur. James Ivory (Mathematiker) (* 17. Februar 1765; † 21. September 1842), schottischer Mathematiker. Ivory (Jura), Gemeinde im französischen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ivory — (en inglés: Marfil) puede referirse a: Ivory, comuna de Jura, Francia; Ivory (2006), canción de la banda japonesa Dragon Ash; Ivory Tower (1986), canción de Van Morrison; Ivory (1961 ), nombre artístico de la luchadora Lisa Moretti (:w:en); …   Wikipedia Español

  • ivory — mid 13c. (late 12c. as a surname), Anglo Fr. ivorie, from O.N.Fr. ivurie (12c.), from L. eboreus of ivory, from ebur (gen. eboris) ivory, probably via Phoenician from an African source (Cf. Egyptian ab elephant, Coptic ebu ivory ). Replaced O.E.… …   Etymology dictionary

  • ivory — ► NOUN (pl. ivories) 1) a hard creamy white substance composing the main part of the tusks of an elephant, walrus, or narwhal. 2) the creamy white colour of ivory. 3) (the ivories) informal the keys of a piano. 4) (ivories) informal a person s… …   English terms dictionary

  • Ivory —   [ aɪvərɪ], James, amerikanischer Filmregisseur, * Berkeley (Calif.) 7. 6. 1928; arbeitete ab 1963 in Indien, nach 1970 wieder in den USA; wurde bekannt mit Gesellschaftsdramen, die meist auf literarische Vorlagen beruhen.   Filme: Die Europäer… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • ivory — ivorylike, adj. /uy veuh ree, uy vree/, n., pl. ivories, adj. n. 1. the hard white substance, a variety of dentin, 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 …   Universalium

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